Hampton VA National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Hampton VA National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery
located the city of Hampton, Virginia
. It encompasses only 0.3 of an acre, and as of the end of 2005, had just 22 interments. It is currently closed to new interments.
. It is located near the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center and was established in 1898 on the grounds of the Southern Branch of the National Home for Volunteer Soldiers and Sailors during a strict quarantine for a yellow fever
epidemic. Every man who died during the quarantine was buried on site, because no one was allowed to enter or leave the station. All 22 burials took place between July 30 and August 15, 1899. Administration of the cemetery was transferred from the Army to the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1973.
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
located the city of Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
. It encompasses only 0.3 of an acre, and as of the end of 2005, had just 22 interments. It is currently closed to new interments.
History
The Hampton VA National Cemetery is the smallest cemetery overseen by the Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
. It is located near the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center and was established in 1898 on the grounds of the Southern Branch of the National Home for Volunteer Soldiers and Sailors during a strict quarantine for a yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
epidemic. Every man who died during the quarantine was buried on site, because no one was allowed to enter or leave the station. All 22 burials took place between July 30 and August 15, 1899. Administration of the cemetery was transferred from the Army to the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1973.
See also
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National CemeteryUnited States National Cemetery"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...