Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA

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Fort Rosecrans is located on the peninsula of San Diego bay. At the very tip is Cabrillo National Monument. Fort Rosecrans itself is an old military base that stood as a battery during WWII. Many main guns used to line the coast in the event of a Japanese attack. Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is along the road just prior to reaching Cabrillo, and lies at the very top of the peninsula hill. The cemetery has views on both sides...one facing the city of San Diego, and the other facing the Pacific ocean. It caters mainly to US Military Personnel, WWII veterans mostly but has vets buried here that stem from the American Civil War. They say there are some +40,000 WWII vets buried here. To be buried here is an honor and hard to get in to, in a way it is San Diegos Arlington. I believe they stopped accepting bodies due to space, but will take cremations and markers. Some of the pics are linked to a larger pic for more detail.


Overlooks...very tip of ridge. I would say this cemetery has the greatest view of San Diego.



View over looking Coronado island and downtown San Diego.


Opposite side facing the Pacific.











The new wall and ground markers that line the cemetery.


Tree that fell on some of the tombstones during the last storm.






Bennington Marker
Dedicated to the USS Bennington sailors who were killed when the ships boiler engine exploded in San Diego bay in 1905. About 60 of the crew were killed. The sailors were the first to be laid to rest at the cemetery.





Graves of USS Bennington in front of monument

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I believe Fort Rosecrans is the only cemetery that contains memorial markers dedicated to ships and squadrons that were lost during WWII in the Pacific Theater. Pics are linked to larger photos.




USS Gambier Bay and Composite Squadron VC-10 Memorial Marker
Oct 1944 - Sunk at Battle off Samar







"Taffy 3" Memorial Marker
USS Dennis
USS Heermann
USS White Plains
USS Kalinin Bay
USS Fanshaw Bay
USS Kitkun Bay
Composite Squadrons - VC-3, VC-4, VC-5, VC-66, VC-68, VC-91 and VOC-2
Oct 1944 - All sunk at the Battle off Samar








USS Johnston
USS Hoel
USS Samuel B Roberts
Oct 1944 - Sunk at Battle off Samar













Pulling in to the driveway of the cemeterys front office you are greeted by these 3 memorial markers


USS Ommaney Bay
Composite Squadron VC-75
Jan 1945 - Sunk in Sulu Sea







USS Wasp
Air Group Seven Squadrons - VF-71, VS-71, VS-72, VT-7
Sept 1942 - Sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal


USS St. Lo(aka USS Midway)
Composite Squadron VC-65
Oct 1944 - Sunk at Battle of Leyte Gulf

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Graves also worth a special mention and visiting.

Markers dedicated to all that could not be recovered or lost at sea.


Maj Henry Schroeder
In Time Magazine he is noted as being a private of Teddys Rough Riders during the Span-Am War and the bugler that sounded the call to charge San Juan Hill.
Awarded Medal of Honor during the Philippine American War at the Battle of Carig.


Grave of Mason Carter
Fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.
Medal of Honor for actions at the Battle of Bear Paw.




Recent grave of Michael Monsoor
Killed in Iraq Sept 29, 2006
He was a Navy Seal who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
A insurgent threw a gernade in the overwatch tower he was in. Rather then protecting himself by running out the room, he dove on the gernade and saved his fellow teammates.






www.navyseals.com/michael-monsoor