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NCA History Blog
NCA historians blog about current events, cemeteries, preservation projects, headstones and monuments, Memorial Day, notable persons and much more.
Featured Post – March 23, 2022
The "Meigs Plan"
By Richard Hulver, Ph.D., Historian, NCA
National cemeteries originated out of necessity during the American Civil War. In the summer of 1862, as casualties mounted at an alarming rate, Congress empowered President Abraham Lincoln to purchase and enclose burial plots as national cemeteries to inter the growing number of Union dead. Continue reading this blog post.
Elevation views and plans for the definitive superintendent lodges with signature of Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, dated August 17, 1871. (NCA History Collection)
Video: Placing Headstones on Unmarked Graves
Watch how researchers help preserve the legacy of Veterans buried in unmarked graves with VA-provided headstones and markers.
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COVID-19 Alert
All Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries remain open and continue to provide interment services for Veterans and eligible dependents.
VA national cemeteries have adapted operational procedures throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance.
Orion P. Howe
US Army, CPL
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