MICHIGAN

Fort Custer National Cemetery is a U.S. military cemetery located in Augusta, Michigan, between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. It is managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and serves as a burial place for eligible veterans, their spouses, and dependent children.

The cemetery was established in 1943 on land that was once part of Fort Custer, a World War I–era military training base. It became part of the national cemetery system in 1981, with modern burials beginning in 1982. Today it covers about 770 acres and continues to accept new interments.

It contains tens of thousands of graves and includes features such as orderly sections, memorial areas, and an Avenue of Flags displayed on special occasions. Many burials include full military honors.

Notable individuals buried there include Wade H. Flemons, a soul singer and early member of Earth, Wind & Fire; Donald E. Boven, a World War II veteran and former professional basketball player and coach; and Benjamin Franklin Adams, a Negro Leagues baseball player and Army veteran. The cemetery also contains graves of other veterans and some German prisoners of war from World War II.

Today, it serves as an active national cemetery and a place of remembrance for veterans from across the Midwest and beyond.