Mare Island Naval Cemetery
Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. The City of Vallejo is responsible for opening the gates which adhere to NCA policy (signage on entrance gate).
Office Hours at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day. Cemetery offices are off-site.
Mare Island Naval Cemetery is closed to all interments. Veterans in the area have access to VA burial benefits at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA.
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.
Mare Island Naval Cemetery is in Vallejo, California. The closest major airport is Oakland International Airport (OAK). This airport has international and domestic flights from Oakland, California and is 42 miles from the cemetery.
From Oakland International Airport (OAK):
Take I-880 N from 98th Ave. Follow I-880 N to I-80/580. Take exit 30A toward I-780 W. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Vallejo/Curtola Pkwy. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Interstate 780 W/Ferry/Frontage Rd/Allejo and merge onto I-780 W. Continue on Curtola Pkwy. Take Mare Island Way, Mare Island Causeway, Azuar Drive and Tyler Road to Imhoff Road.
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.
The office for the cemetery is located off-site. Contact the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, which oversees this cemetery, for any questions.
Note: There are no restroom facilities at Mare Island Naval Cemetery.
For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.
Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves and in the gravel, areas surrounding the columbarium and memorial walls at any time and will be removed once they become unsightly. In addition, all items placed on gravesites can be removed to accommodate grounds maintenance to include removal of artificial flowers. Floral pickup is conducted every Wednesday of each month along with daily pick up of faded or unsightly arrangements and other items.
Cemetery furnished temporary flower cones are available and located throughout the cemetery in specially marked containers.
Artificial flowers and potted plants are permitted on graves and in the gravel, areas surrounding the columbarium and memorial walls five days before and five days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day. Seasonal holiday adornments such as wreaths, poinsettias, and small grave blankets may be placed on graves beginning the third Saturday in December through the second Saturday of January.
To maintain the dignity of the cemetery, items such as candles, statues, glass of any kind, vigil lights, shepherd's hooks, wind chimes, pinwheels, balloons, memorabilia, or any item exceeding 24 inches in height are not permitted on graves and in the gravel areas surrounding the columbarium, or memorial walls, at any time.
Headstones and niche covers are federal property, altering or marking by paint, marker, lipstick, or any other means is prohibited. No object of any type will be secured to headstones, niches, memorial markers or memorial monuments.
Mare Island Naval Cemetery assumes no responsibility for items left at graves. Due to the open nature of the grounds, we cannot guarantee against theft, vandalism, or the effects of nature, including damage by wildlife.
Rules of Behavior: To preserve the dignity and honor of our Veterans final resting place, please observe the following while visiting the cemetery grounds:
- Guns, knives, or other weapons are not allowed.
- Pets are not permitted outside of vehicles except service animals.
- No picnicking.
- No sports or recreational activities such as biking, jogging, or running are permitted.
- No soliciting.
- Unauthorized gatherings are not permitted.
- Please do not litter or park on grass areas.
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.
Mare Island Naval Cemetery is the oldest naval cemetery west of the Mississippi River. It was constructed by the Department of the Navy shortly after it began operating the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1854. Burials began at this hillside cemetery in 1856 and continued until 1921. Among the approximately 900 interred there are the daughter of Francis Scott Key, three Medal of Honor Recipients, and six Russian sailors who were laid to rest during the Civil War era.
The cemetery is located within the former shipyard, which officially closed on March 31, 1996, under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). The Navy transferred most of the installation's 5,000-acre peninsula to the City of Vallejo in 2002, including the cemetery.
The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Mare Island Naval Ammunition Depot Historic District.
In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, took responsibility for administration and maintenance of Mare Island Naval Cemetery following the facility's transfer from the City of Vallejo, California.
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:
James Cooney, USMC, who received the Medal of Honor for bravery in the presence of the enemy during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion in Tientsin, China on July 13, 1900.
William Halford, U.S. Navy, who rescued the side-wheel steamer, USS Saginaw. On October 29, 1870, Saginaw became shipwrecked there and with no hope of rescue, five crewmembers volunteered to convert the captain's gig into a sailboat and sail it to obtain rescue for the 87 ship's crew that remained. Coxswain Halford was one of the volunteers. The men endured three gale-force Pacific storms with winds exceeding 40 knots, waves of more than 18 feet, and 1,500 miles at sea in a small boat, but their rations spoiled leaving them weak, sick, and near starvation. After 31-days the small boat reached Kauai and the boat overturned in the large surf as they attempted to land. Unfortunately, Halford was the only survivor and although he suffered a crushed knee, he made it ashore and was able to engage a small schooner to take him to Honolulu where he reported the wreck of the Saginaw. Hawaiian King Kamehameha V dispatched his steamer to rescue the marooned sailors and it arrived at Kure on January 3, 1871. The wreck of the Saginaw and the saga of its crew's rescue was widely reported at the time, Halford became a national hero, he was promoted to the rank of Acting Gunner, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor on February 8, 1872.
Alexander Parker, U.S. Navy, who attempted to save a shipmate from drowning at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on July 25, 1876. He was serving in the U.S. Navy as a boatswain's mate on the USS Portsmouth. For this action, he was awarded the Medal of Honor two weeks later, on August 9, 1876.
Other Burials
Anna Arnold Key Turner — daughter of Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner "— is buried there in a grave whose monument says, "The children arise and call her blessed." She had eleven children with her husband, David Turner and served as one of Vallejo's first public school teachers. She passed away in 1884. David preceded her in death in 1860 and is buried beside her. He was a Congressional representative from North Carolina, where his father was governor, when he met Anna. He accompanied Farragut to Mare Island in 1854 and worked as the supervising civil engineer. Some of the buildings he built still stand.
We are developing educational content for this national cemetery, and will post new materials as they become available. Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
