U.S.D.B. Cemetery Sign |
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| Details | |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1884[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Fort Leavenworth, Kansas |
| Owned by | United States Disciplinary Barracks |
| Number of graves | 298 (240 marked, 58 unmarked) |
| Find a Grave | United States Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery |
Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery (also known as the United States Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery) is a cemetery maintained by the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison. The purpose of this cemetery is for the burial of unclaimed bodies of soldiers who died in the United States Disciplinary Barracks.[2] It is the final resting place for 298 soldiers who died in the prison, 58 of which lie in unmarked graves.[2] The majority of the soldiers who are buried in Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery died between 1898 and 1905.[2] The last known burial in the cemetery was in 1957, ten years after the one preceding it.[2] Since families are expected to claim the bodies these days, the U.S. military does not have any plan for a burial if the situation arises again.[2]
Fourteen German prisoners of war who were executed in 1945 (for the murders of fellow-POWs Johannes Kunze, Horst Günther and Werner Drechsler[1]) in the military prison are buried in the northwest corner of the cemetery.[3] An unknown lady of German descent, who resides in the nearby city of Leavenworth, visits the cemetery periodically to place flowers on their graves.[2]
The cemetery is difficult to find and visitors who are not aware of its exact location may need to get directions.[4]