Marion National Cemetery
Visitation Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk. The cemetery gate is closed at 6:00 p.m., but visitors can still access the cemetery through the VA Medical Center Main Gate.
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.
This cemetery has space available to accommodate casketed and cremated remains. Cremated remains may be interred in-ground or in the columbarium wall.
Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
A Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.
Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.
Marion National Cemetery, located on the east side of the Department of Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Health Care System in the southeast section of the city, is bounded by 38th Street and Lincoln Boulevard.
From the South and Indianapolis Airport: Take the I-465 Beltway North to I-465E to I-69 North (Fort Wayne). Take Exit 259 (Gas City/Upland). Make a left turn on IN-22 (Gas City). At the intersection of 1st and Main Street, turn right and continue on 1st Street for approximately 1½ miles until it ends at a "T" intersection with 200 S. Turn left at 200 S, which becomes 38th Street. Cemetery is on the left.
From the North (Ft Wayne, IN): Go to I-69 S (Indianapolis) to Exit 264 (Marion/Montpelier). Turn right on to IN-18. Travel three miles and turn left on to County Road 400S. Travel two miles to County Road 200. Turn right on to County Road 200W. Travel approximately 1.5 miles cross railroad track and the cemetery is immediately to the left.
From the East (Muncie, IN): Go west on US-35 continue on US 35W/I 69 North (Ft Wayne). Take Exit 259 (Gas City/Upland). Make a left turn on IN-22 (Gas City). At the intersection of 1st and Main Street, turn right and continue on 1st Street for approximately 1½ miles until it ends at a "T" intersection with CR 200 S. Turn left at CR 200 S, which becomes 38th Street. Cemetery is on the left.
From the West (Kokomo, IN): Go east on IN-22 towards Marion. Turn left on IN-37 North. Continue straight on Washington Street. Make a right turn on 38th Street. Stay on 38th Street for approximately one mile. The cemetery is located on the right.
Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.
For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.
Military Funeral Honors
Military Funeral Honors may be obtained through your local funeral home using the Department of Defense Military Honors program.
For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.
Natural, fresh-cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year and will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations. Plastic floral cones are available for use and are located in containers throughout the cemetery.
Artificial flowers are permitted on graves only from October 10th through April 15th. Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from December 1st through January 20th.
Place all columbarium flowers, wreaths, etc., at the base of the columbarium beneath the niches.
One small American flag may be placed on the grave or at the base of the columbarium beneath the niches and will be removed when it is damaged, faded or tattered.
At no time shall any object be attached to a grave marker or niche cover, protrude above the top of an upright headstone, or encroach on an adjacent grave.
To preserve the dignity and appearance of the cemetery, the following items are prohibited:
- Alcoholic products or other similar items
- Balloons, pinwheels, wind chimes, lights, candles, statues, stuffed animals, or other similar items
- Decorative and breakable glass or plastic items such as: vigil lights, glass vases or decorative glass
- Non-government supplied floral containers (pots, planters, vases, etc.)
- Any objects that could become projectiles when caught in grounds maintenance equipment (such as rocks, coins, or other small durable objects)
- Offensive items or those deemed inconsistent with the cemetery setting
- Permanent in-ground plantings
- Weapons of any kind, explosives, or ammunition
- Any object attached to headstones, markers, or niche covers
Using permanent markers or paint on headstones is always strictly prohibited.
Cemetery personnel will inspect each grave for unsightly or unauthorized items on the first and third Wednesday of each month. Durable items removed from graves will be held for one month. These items remain property of the donor but are under custodianship of the cemetery. If not claimed within 30 days, they are governed by rules for disposal of federal property.
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
In 1888, Colonel George W. Steele, Indiana's congressional representative, successfully convinced his colleagues in Washington, D.C. of the need for a Soldier's Home in Grant County. Subsequently, the 31-acre Marion Branch of the National Home opened in 1889 to provide shelter and comfort for the region's veterans. Along with the home, a cemetery was established for the interment of the men who died there. The first burial occurred two years after the home opened in May 1890. For most of its history, the cemetery at the Marion Home has quietly and efficiently cared for the needs of the nation's veterans with few significant changes.
In 1920, the home was renamed Marion Sanatorium and in 1930, administration of the home was transferred to the newly created Veterans Administration. Additional acreage was transferred from the Veterans Health Administration twice in the cemetery's history. Six acres were added in 1974 and six more in 1988. As of 1973, with the passage of the National Cemetery Act, the cemetery became part of the National Cemetery system and its name was changed to Marion National Cemetery.
Marion National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Monuments and Memorials
The Remember the Maine monument was erected in 1901 in honor of the lives lost in Cuba's Havana Harbor during the Spanish-American War.
A monument dedicated to the Minnesota 2nd Regiment was erected at the cemetery in 1913.
A commemorative sundial was installed at the cemetery in the early 20th century.
The Carillon bell tower was erected around 1990 as part of the American Veterans international carillon program to provide living memorials in honor of American veterans.
The Vietnam Memorial was erected in 1990 and dedicated to those who fought or died in the Vietnam War.
The Blue Star Memorial Marker was donated by The Garden Club of Marion and Veteran of Foreign Wars San Mateo Post #60 and dedicated on April 23, 2005.
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 390 Medal of Honor recipients interred in VA national cemeteries.
» Medal of Honor recipients buried or memorialized here:
Sergeant Henry J. Hyde (Indian Wars). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company M, 1st U.S. Cavalry, for gallant conduct during winter 1872–1873. Hyde died in 1893 and is buried in Section 1, Site 97.
Seaman Nicholas Irwin (Civil War). Irwin received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Navy for actions on board the USS Brooklyn during the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama, August 5, 1864. He died in 1896 and is buried in Section 1, Site 382.
Captain Jeremiah Kuder (Civil War). Kuder received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company A, 74th Indiana Infantry, for actions at Jonesboro, GA, September 1, 1864. Kuder died in 1916 and is buried in Section 4, Site 2464.
Other Burials
Private Gerald Dixon (World War I). Dixon (1896–1967) was born in Seymore, IN. He never finished grade school and worked as a messenger in a railroad office until he enlisted in the U.S. Army on February 27, 1914, at the age of 17. He was one of 110 soldiers in the 24th Infantry Regiment who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in the 1917 Camp Logan Riot. Dixon maintained his innocence, but was convicted through guilt by association and sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary. His sentence was later commuted by J. Edgar Hoover, and he was released on parole effective September 17, 1924. Dixon passed away in October 1967 and was laid to rest at the Estates of Serenity in Marion, IN. On November 13, 2023, the Army set aside the courts-martial of all 110 convicted soldiers, including Dixon, making him eligible for burial in a national cemetery. On October 28, 2024, Dixon and his wife were reinterred at Marion National Cemetery. They now rest in Section 12, Site 340.
William (Willis) H. Furbush was born in Kentucky ca. 1840, and little is known of his childhood. He was literate and an accomplished photographer. Furbush enlisted in the Army in February 1865, joining the 42nd U.S. Colored Troops Infantry. Sgt. Furbush was honorably discharged in October, and in 1866, he went with the American Colonization Society to Liberia. Furbush returned to the United States when Reconstruction offered political and economic opportunities to African Americans. He was elected to the Arkansas General Assembly in 1872. Furbush's career received mixed reviews because he supported civil rights and was a conservative collaborator with white Democrats during this period. Furbush entered the Marion Branch of the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in October 1901 and died September 3, 1902 (Section 1, Site 774).
More than half of VA's national cemeteries originated with the Civil War and many are closed to some burials. Other sites were established to serve World War veterans and they continue to expand. Historic themes related with NCA's cemeteries and soldiers' lots vary, but visitors should understand "Why is it here?" NCA began by installing interpretive signs, or waysides, at more than 100 properties to observe the Civil War Sesquicentennial (2011–2015). Please follow the links below to see the interpretive signs for Marion National Cemetery.
Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
