GENERAL INFORMATION

The mailing address for the cemetery is:
Quantico National Cemetery
P.O. Box 10
Triangle, VA 22172

A Kiosk, which is an electronic gravesite locator, is in the breezeway of the administration building. The grave locator is available to the public daily from sunrise to sunset.

Avenue of Flags program: A deceased veteran's flag may be donated to the cemetery at any time to be flown in the "Avenue of Honor." The full complement of flags is flown on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. On other holidays the flags are only raised from the main entrance gate to the second flagpole circle adjacent to the Administration Building. The donor will receive a letter and Certificate of Appreciation for their donation.
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Quantico National Cemetery is located on land that was part of the U.S. Marine Corps training base adjacent to Quantico in Prince William County, Va. The land has been used by the military for over 200 years. First, around 1775 by the Commonwealth of Virginia for Navy operations, and later, as a blockade point for the Confederate army during the Civil War.

In 1918 a permanent Marine base was established at Quantico. The Marine Corps Schools, a forerunner of the Marine Corps Development and Education Command, was created there in 1921. Since 1941, the focus of the base has been individual education rather than unit training. In 1977, the Marine Corps donated 725 acres of this land to the VA’s National Cemetery Administration, to establish a facility at Quantico. The cemetery was formally dedicated on May 15, 1983.

Monuments and Memorials
There are seven memorials in all. A monument to Edson’s Raiders was the first memorial dedicated at Quantico National Cemetery, unveiled on the memorial pathway on Aug. 6, 1989. It is dedicated to the 800 members of the First Marine Raider Battalion, which from August 1942 to October 1943, played a key role in helping the greatly outnumbered American forces push back Japanese troops in the Brigit Solomon Islands.

The Purple Heart Memorial was dedicated Aug. 7, 1990, in honor of Purple Heart medal recipients interred at the cemetery. The Purple Heart was created by George Washington in 1782 and was originally awarded for heroism. It eventually fell into disuse until 1931 when Gen. Douglas MacArthur revived it for soldiers who were wounded or killed in defense of their nation.

Additional memorials honor: Colonel William “Rich” Higgins, Marine Corps, who was captured and held hostage in Lebanon by pro-Iranian Hezbollah terrorists; the Fourth Marine or “Fighting Fourth” Division; the Commonwealth of Virginia Memorial dedicated to honor all of the nation’s veterans; the First Marine Division Memorial, in memory of those who lost their lives while serving with the 1st Marine Division; and the 6th Marine Division or “Striking Sixth” Memorial to honor the division that won the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions in Okinawa during World War II. The memorial design is based on a Japanese tomb.
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NOTABLE PERSONS
Louis R. Lowery, a World War II Marine combat photographer, took the picture of the first U.S. flag rising on top of Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi in 1945. The flag was said to be the first U.S. flag flown over Japanese territory in World War II. He was interred on April 1, 1987, Section 1, Gravesite 6422.

General Lewis William Walt, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps from 1968-71, had a career that spanned over 35 years and he served through three major wars. General Walt was awarded two Navy Crosses, one Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts. He was interred on May 11, 2000, in Section 17, Gravesite 51-B.

Colonel William "Rich" Higgins, the chief of a 75-member United National observer group, was captured by a pro-Iranian Shiite Moslem group on Feb. 17, 1988 in Beirut. He was held hostage and killed by his kidnappers on July 6, 1990. A marker was placed in our memorial section until his body was found and returned to the U.S. Colonel Higgins was interred on Dec. 30, 1991, in Section 23, Gravesite 141.

Our cemetery history handout includes other notable burials and is available at Quantico National Cemetery Administration Office.
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FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time.

Artificial flowers may be placed on the grave from Nov. 1 to March 31 and the 10-day period before and after Easter.

Potted plants may be placed on the grave 10 days prior to Easter and will be removed 10 days after Easter.

Christmas wreaths and other unbreakable Christmas decorated items may be placed on the grave beginning Dec. 1 and will be removed Jan. 31.

Flower removal will be weekly when they become unsightly or faded. Cemetery personnel will remove all unauthorized objects.

Permanent plants are not permitted in the burial area. Christmas blankets, statues, vigil lights glass objects, and other commemorative items are not permitted at any time. Floral items or decorations may not be secured to grave markers.

Please note: Deer are numerous in the cemetery and will graze on fresh flowers.
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