Beaufort National Cemetery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Beaufort National Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Beaufort National Cemetery
Location in South Carolina Show map of South Carolina Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1601 Boundary St., Beaufort, South Carolina
Area	28.9 acres (11.7 ha)
Built	1863
Architectural style	Colonial, Dutch Colonial
MPS	Civil War Era National Cemeteries MPS
NRHP reference No.	97001208
Added to NRHP	October 10, 1997

The Beaufort National Cemetery is a special burial ground for military veterans. It is located in the city of Beaufort, South Carolina. This cemetery is managed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. It covers about 33 acres of land. As of 2014, more than 19,000 people were buried there.

History of Beaufort National Cemetery

The first people buried in this cemetery were soldiers. They died in Union hospitals during the early part of the American Civil War. This was around 1861, after the Battle of Port Royal. Soldiers who died in battles nearby were also moved here. This included over 100 soldiers from the Confederate side.

The cemetery became a National Cemetery in 1863. This happened because of the National Cemetery Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln. After the war, 27 Union soldiers who were prisoners of war were also reburied here. They had been held at Blackshear Prison.

Today, Beaufort National Cemetery holds burials from many American conflicts. These include the Spanish–American War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.

The Massachusetts 55th Soldiers

In 1987, something important was discovered. The remains of nineteen Union soldiers were found on Folly Island, South Carolina. These soldiers were part of the all-black Massachusetts 55th Volunteer Infantry. This unit was stationed on Folly Island from late 1863 to early 1864.

The Massachusetts 55th was a sister unit to the more famous Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry. The 54th was featured in the movie Glory. On May 29, 1989, these nineteen soldiers were reburied. They received full military honors at the Beaufort National Cemetery. Actors from the movie Glory even served as the honor guard at the ceremony.

Beaufort National Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.

Notable People Buried Here

Many brave and important people are buried at Beaufort National Cemetery.

• Medal of Honor Recipients
  • Private First Class Ralph H. Johnson (1949–1968): He received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War.
  • Captain John J. McGinty III (1940–2014): He also received the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the Vietnam War.

• Other Notable Burials
  • Colonel Donald Conroy (1921–1998): He was known as The Great Santini.
  • John N. McLaughlin (1918–2002): A Marine Corps Lieutenant General. He served in three wars and was a prisoner of war (P.O.W.) for three years.
  • Master Sergeant Joseph Simmons: He received the Legion of Honour, a top French award. He was a Buffalo Soldier and fought in World War I and World War II.
  • General Edwin A. Pollock (1899–1982).
  • Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (1837–1863): He commanded the African-American 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. This unit was the subject of the movie Glory.
  • Major General William Cobb Sr.: He was a U.S. Commandant in Berlin. He also commanded the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam and was a paratrooper in World War II.
  • Chuck Taliano (1945–2010): A USMC drill instructor. He was famous for appearing on a "We don’t promise you a rose garden" recruitment poster in the 1970s and 1980s.
  • General William G. Thrash (1916–2011).
  • Major General Reuben Henry Tucker III (1911–1970): He was the Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel from 1963 to 1968.
  • US Army General James Grimsley (1921–2013).
  • William Pinckney (1915–1976): He received the Navy Cross for his service.
  • Major General Charles Spragins.
  • Captain Albert Schlegel, Jr.: He was an Army Air Corps fighter pilot. He flew with the Canadian Royal Air Force before the U.S. entered World War II. He became an "ace" pilot, shooting down 13.5 enemy planes. In 1944, he was shot down over France. He was captured and reportedly shot. His body was buried in France as "unknown" until 2016. That year, his body was identified using medical records. He was reburied in Beaufort on March 30, 2017.

Twilight at Beaufort National Cemetery

• • Ian Ronald Atherton Adamson: A Lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He is the only soldier from the Commonwealth of Nations buried here from World War II.