Long Island National Cemetery facts for kids
Long Island National Cemetery
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| Details | |
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| Established | 1936 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | United States National Cemetery |
| Owned by | U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs |
| Size | 364.7 acres (147.6 ha) |
| No. of graves | 357,000+ |
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Long Island National Cemetery
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Wyandanch and Melville, NY |
| NRHP reference No. | 16000113 |
| Added to NRHP | March 22, 2016 |
Long Island National Cemetery is a special place in Suffolk County, New York. It is a United States National Cemetery, which means it's a burial ground mainly for military veterans and their families. This cemetery is located near other cemeteries like Pinelawn Memorial Park. It is managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs.
The cemetery covers about 365 acres of land. As of 2021, more than 357,000 people have been buried here. In 2016, Long Island National Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
Contents
History of the Cemetery
Long Island National Cemetery was started in 1936. The government bought 175 acres of land from a nearby cemetery, Pinelawn Cemetery. This was done because there wasn't enough burial space for veterans after World War I. The only other national cemetery in the area, Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, was almost full.
Work began to prepare the land for burials. The first burials took place in March 1937. Within its first eight years, over 10,000 people were buried here. Many of these were veterans from World War II.
A special part of the cemetery holds the graves of World War II prisoners of war. These include 37 German and 54 Italian soldiers. There are also 35 British Commonwealth soldiers buried here from the same war.
Important Monuments
- A granite memorial was built in 1940. It honors "Fallen Comrades of Nassau & Suffolk Counties." This monument remembers soldiers from these areas who died in service.
Notable People Buried Here
Many brave and famous people are buried at Long Island National Cemetery.
Medal of Honor Recipients
The Medal of Honor is the highest military award in the United States. It is given for extreme bravery in battle. Here are some of the Medal of Honor recipients buried here:
- Seaman First Class Heinrich Behnke (1882–1952)
- Corporal Anthony Casamento (1920–1987), for his actions in the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II
- Gunner's Mate Third Class John Everetts (1877–1956)
- Gunner's Mate Third Class Robert Galbraith (1878–1949)
- Boatswain's Mate William Henry Gowan (1884–1957)
- Captain Sydney G. Gumpertz (1879–1971), for his actions in World War I
- Chief Watertender August Holtz (1871–1938)
- Platoon Sergeant Joseph R. Julian (1918–1945), who died in action on Iwo Jima
- First Lieutenant Stephen Edward Karopczyc (1944–1967), who died in action in the Vietnam War
- Specialist Five John James Kedenburg (1946–1968), who died in action in the Vietnam War
- Private First Class Carlos James Lozada (1946–1967), who died in action at the Battle of Dak To during the Vietnam War
- Landsman Thomas Mitchell (1857–1942)
- Chief Boatswain's Mate Lauritz Nelson (1860–1941), for his actions during the Spanish–American War
- Sergeant Alfred B. Nietzel (1921–1944), who died in action in World War II
- First Lieutenant Bernard James Ray (1921–1944), who died in action in World War II
- Staff Sergeant Joseph Edward Schaefer (1921–1994), for his actions in World War II
- Second Lieutenant Charles William Shea (1921–1994), for his actions in World War II
- Private First Class William Henry Thompson (1927–1950), who died in action in the Korean War
- Private Michael Valente (1895–1976), for his actions in World War I
- Seaman James Aloysius Walsh (1897–1960)
- First Lieutenant John Earl Warren (1946–1969), who died in action in the Vietnam War
Other Notable People
Many other interesting people are buried here, including:
- Count Basie, a famous jazz musician
- Frank John Becker, a U.S. Congressman and World War I veteran
- William Breitenbach, a New York assemblyman and World War I veteran
- Captain Lewis Broadus, a Buffalo Soldier and veteran of several wars
- Albert W. Brosch, a professional golfer and World War II veteran
- T. Frederick Candlyn, an organist, composer, and World War I veteran
- Alice Coltrane, a jazz musician
- John Coltrane, a jazz musician
- Captain Leon Dabo, an artist and World War I veteran
- Henry Dumas, a writer and poet
- Mignon G. Eberhart, an author
- James Fay, a U.S. Congressman and World War I veteran
- Max Gerlach, a person of note
- Enya Gonzalez, a singer
- Maurice Gosfield, a comic actor
- Helen Kane, a singer
- Guy Lombardo, a jazz musician and bandleader
- Granville 'Stick' McGhee, a musician
- Lionel Monagas, an actor and World War I veteran
- Jules Munshin, a comedian and actor
- William Redfield, an actor and World War II soldier
- Frank Silvera, an actor
- Joe Simon, a comic book writer and artist, who helped create Captain America
- Zutty Singleton, a jazz musician
- Richard J. Tonry, a U.S. Congressman and World War I veteran
- Roy J. Waldron, a racehorse trainer
