Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

Nearly 2500 volunteers reported for duty today to help place flags at nearly 140,000 headstones in preparation for Memorial Day. Organized by Flags for Fallen Vets, the volunteers included active duty military, Boy Scouts, civic and corporate groups, and San Antonio residents. Thank you to all for your hard work and to Flags for Fallen Vets for their coordination.

As we prepare for our Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, 25 May 2026, the staff would like to share the following requests, tips, and recommendations with our community:

First, flags will be placed on individual graves on Sunday, 24 May 2026. This placement is organized and run by Flags for Fallen Vets (www.flagsforfallenvets.com). If you are not already registered with them to volunteer, we request that you do not come to the cemetery on Sunday. There will be thousands of volunteers placing the flags throughout the cemetery, traffic circulation will be slow and difficult, and we want to ensure the safest environment possible for both our volunteers and our visitors.

For persons desiring to visit the graves of loved ones, we recommend doing that in the afternoon of both 24 and 25 May 2026. That will help you avoid both the flag placement and ceremony traffic and the disrupted traffic patterns.

For those attending the ceremony, please look at the traffic and parking plan. Entry will be via the Harry Wurzbach Road entrance only. Traffic will be one way through the cemetery and the exit will be via Cougar Way and Rittiman Road.

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers and see you at the ceremony on Monday!!

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery had the honor of a visit yesterday from our Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Samuel B. Brown, the head of the National Cemetery Administration. Mr. Brown toured the cemetery with the Director to get a feel for the site to ensure that Fort Sam has the support we need to continue to serve the veteran community of "Military City USA." He engaged with crew at their work sites and spent some time with a family who was visiting a loved one interred here. He met with our entire crew at the end of day sharing a bit of his background, his leadership principles, and challenging us to continued growth and excellence in our jobs.

Mr. Brown also recognized 3 of our stellar crew with the presentation of his person challenge coin, thanking them for their dedication to excellence. He ended his visit with open questions and answers with the crew.

Sir, thank you for visit and your leadership! We hope to see you again, soon.

Thank you, Wednesday Squad! Excellent job, as always.

Last Friday, 13 March 2026, the San Antonio National Cemetery received some outstanding volunteer support helping to maintain the dignity and honor of those proud veterans and family members buried in this historic cemetery. The San Antonio Chapter of the National Association of Buffalo Soldier & Troopers Motorcycle Club come out add dedicated numerous hours of labor to leaf and trash removal. We can't say "Thank You" enough to these true patriots and friends!! Ride Safe!

San Antonio National Cemetery was originally a part of San Antonio's "burial ground." Donated to the US Government in 1867, these 1.89 acres are the final resting place of veterans from the American Civil War to the present day. 14 Medal of Honor recipients and 281 identified Buffalo Soldiers are among those who rest here. The site has limited availability for inground cremated remains.

San Antonio National Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery presented a variety of awards to our outstanding team members this morning...Congratulations!!

Fort Sam Houston would like to thank our Bexar County Department of Military and Veterans Services partners for another moving Unaccompanied Veterans Memorial Service. We rendered military honors to 10 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen who passed during the last quarter with no known family. Today, we were their family. More than 250 active duty and civilian attendees came to pay their respects.

Thank you also to Commissioner Grant Moody, Precinct 3, Bexar County, for providing guest speaker remarks, and to Councilmember Misty Spears, District 9, City of San Antonio, for her attendance and the support of the City. Thank you the Fort Sam Houston Wednesday Squad, Memorial Services Detachment for performing the honors.

The next Unaccompanied Veterans Memorial Service will be on 15 April 2026 at 0900.

In addition to Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery (FSHNC), Wreaths Across America (WAA) volunteers visited Kerrville National Cemetery on the 13th of December placing wreaths for the holidays. Thank you to the WAA organizers in Kerrville, the volunteers, and Assistant Director Graham Wright for representing the FSHNC Complex at this event.

Never forgotten Volunteers gathered Saturday at Kerrville National Cemetery to place wreaths on veterans' graves as part of the annual Wreaths Across America ceremony, continuing a nationwide tradition of remembrance that unfolded