Long Island National Cemetery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Long Island National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the village of Farmingdale, in Suffolk County, New York. It encompasses 364.7 acres (1.5 km²), and as of 30 September 2006, had 329,704 interments - making it the US National Cemetery with the largest number of interments.
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[edit] History
Long Island National Cemetery was established in 1936 with a purchase of 175 acres (0.7 km²) of land from Pinelawn Cemetery to answer a need after World War I of a large number of veterans, and not enough burial space in the urban cemeteries in New York. At the time the only National Cemetery in the area was Cypress Hills National Cemetery in Brooklyn, and it had very limited area available. The land was developed and burials began in March of 1937. Within its first 8 years, it saw over 10,000 interments from World War II.
A section of the cemetery has the interments of World War II prisoners of war, including 37 Germans and 54 Italians.
[edit] Notable monuments
- A granite memorial to "Fallen Comrades of Nassau & Suffolk Counties" was erected in 1940.
[edit] Notable interments
- Frank John Becker, US Congressman, World War I veteran.
- Seaman First Class Heinrich Behnke, Medal of Honor recipient for peacetime service aboard USS Iowa
- Corporal Anthony Casamento, Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II.
- John Coltrane, jazz musician.
- Mignon G. Eberhart, author.
- James Fay, US Congressman, World War I veteran.
- Gunner's Mate Third Class John Everetts, Medal of Honor recipient for peacetime service aboard USS Cushing.
- Gunner's Mate Third Class Robert Galbraith, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Philippine-American War.
- Russell Gleason, actor, son of James Gleason.
- Boatswain's Mate William Henry Gowan, Medal of Honor recipient for peacetime service in Coquimbo, Chile.
- Captain Sydney G. Gumpertz, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War I.
- Chief Watertender August Holtz, Medal of Honor recipient for peacetime service aboard USS North Dakota.
- Helen Kane, singer and model for Betty Boop.
- First Lieutenant Stephen Edward Karopczyc, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Vietnam War.
- Specialist Fifth Class John James Kedenburg, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Vietnam War.
- Private First Class Carlos James Lozada, Medal of Honor recipient for action at the Battle of Dak To during the Vietnam War.
- Granville 'Stick' McGhee, musician.
- Donald McPherson, lead singer and founder of music group The Main Ingredient.
- Landsman Thomas Mitchell, Medal of Honor recipient for peacetime service aboard USS Richmond.
- Jules Munshin, comedian, actor.
- Chief Boatswain's Mate Lauritz Nelson, Medal of Honor recipient for action aboard USS Nashville during the Spanish-American War.
- First Lieutenant Bernard James Ray, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II.
- Staff Sergeant Joseph Edward Schaefer, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II.
- Second Lieutenant Charles William Shea, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II.
- Frank Silvera, actor.
- Zutty Singleton, jazz musician.
- Private First Class William Henry Thompson, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Korean War.
- Richard J. Tonry, US Congressman, World War I veteran.
- Private Michael Valente, Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War I.
- Seaman James Aloysius Walsh, Medal of Honor recipient for action aboard USS Florida during the US occupation of Veracruz, Mexico.
- First Lieutenant John Earl Warren, Medal of Honor recipient for action in the Vietnam War.
