GENERAL INFORMATION

Military Funeral Honors
Either the family or a funeral director must make arrangements for military funeral honors. When these arrangements have been made, please notify the cemetery representative.

Some telephone numbers which may be helpful in obtaining military funeral honors are:

Local Numbers for Military Funeral Honors:
U.S. Marine Corps - (910) 451-2414
U.S. Army - (910) 396-4262
U.S. Air Force - (919) 722-5324
U.S. Navy - (904) 542-1536
U.S. Coast Guard - (757) 398-6390

The Department of Veterans Affairs and cemetery staff members do not exercise authority over the extent, content, or nature of honors and ceremonies furnished by the individual branches of the military service. Questions and inquiries regarding these matters should be directed to the branch of service in which the veteran served.
back to top

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

New Bern National cemetery is located in New Bern, Craven County, N.C. Founded in 1710, New Bern is the second-oldest city in the state, founded by German and Swiss adventurers whose commander was from city of the same name in Switzerland. Prior to the American Revolution, Royal Gov. William Tryon made this seaport his colonial capitol and commissioned the construction of Tryon Palace in 1770.

Although there was some dissension within the state regarding secession, North Carolina chose to leave the Union on May 20, 1861. Ultimately, it supplied more men and materials to the Confederate cause than any other southern state. It also suffered the largest number of losses. New Bern was captured early in the war. By August 1861, the Union army had secured the Pamlico Sound inlets after defeating the Confederate forces and taking Forts Clark and Hatteras. By winter 1862, Gen. A.E. Burnside and Commodore L.M. Goldsborough had seized the Confederate positions on Roanoke Island and New Berne (as it was originally spelled). Union control of the inner coastal position tightened the blockade of the North Carolina coast, but the state held out until April 26, 1865, when Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered the last major Confederate army to Gen. William T. Sherman near Durham, N.C.

New Bern National Cemetery was officially established Feb. 1, 1867. Many of the burials at New Bern are reinterments of remains from the surrounding area, including Beaufort, Hatteras and locations along the coast. Over 1,000 unknowns are buried in a separate section.

New Bern National Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Monuments and Memorials
The granite New Jersey Monument was erected by that state in 1905. It is dedicated to the memory of the 9th New Jersey Regiment Volunteer Infantry.

The Massachusetts Monument is a granite memorial erected by the commonwealth in 1908 in memory of Massachusetts’s soldiers and sailors who died in North Carolina during the Civil War.

The Connecticut Monument was erected by that state in 1908. The memorial was dedicated to the memory of Connecticut men who died of yellow fever during the Civil War, as well as those who fell in action by 1865.

The Rhode Island Monument is composed of a granite base topped by a bronze figure. Dedicated Oct. 6, 1909, it was donated by the state of Rhode Island in honor of its volunteers who died in North Carolina during the Civil War. The monument was designed and sculpted by William W. Manatt of Providence, R.I.
back to top

NOTABLE PERSONS

back to top

FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Artificial flowers and potted plants will be permitted on graves during the period of October 10 through April 15, and 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day.

Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.

Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel. For example, items incorporating beads or wires may become entangled in mowers or other equipment and cause injury.

Permanent items removed from graves will be placed in an inconspicuous holding area for one month prior to disposal. Decorative items removed from graves remain the property of the donor but are under the custodianship of the cemetery. If not retrieved by the donor, they are then governed by the rules for disposal of federal property.
back to top