NEW MEXICO

The Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is one of the most historically significant military cemeteries in the American Southwest. It was established in 1870 during the post–Civil War period to bury Union soldiers who had died in the New Mexico Territory, including those connected to frontier conflicts such as the Battle of Glorieta Pass. The land was donated by the Catholic Church, and over time the cemetery also became a reinterment site for soldiers moved from abandoned military forts throughout the region.

Today, it spans about 84 acres and contains more than 68,000 burials, including veterans and eligible family members from the Civil War through modern U.S. conflicts. It is still active and managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, while also being listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its historical importance.

Among the more notable individuals buried there are writer Tony Hillerman, whose mystery novels centered on the Navajo Tribal Police and brought widespread attention to Indigenous cultures of the Southwest, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Oliver La Farge, known for Laughing Boy, a novel focused on Navajo life. In addition, the cemetery contains graves of Medal of Honor recipients and many veterans from every major American conflict, as well as memorials honoring groups such as Navajo Code Talkers, WWII glider pilots, and other specialized service units.

Overall, the cemetery serves both as a solemn resting place for generations of U.S. veterans and as a living historical record of military service and frontier history in the Southwest, reflecting more than 150 years of American military presence in the region.