GENERAL INFORMATION
To schedule a burial: Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to
1-800-535-1117.
The Baltimore National Cemetery supervises this cemetery. You can contact them at the number listed above.
Grave Locator/General Information Kiosk: There is a printed grave locator available in front of the lodge. Grave locations for Annapolis National Cemetery are also available in the kiosk located at Baltimore National Cemetery.
Burial Space
Annapolis National Cemetery is closed to new interments. The only interments that are being accepted are subsequent interments for veterans or eligible family members in an existing gravesite. Periodically however, burial space may become available due to a canceled reservation or when a disinterment has been completed. When either of these two scenarios occurs, the gravesite is made available to another eligible veteran on a first-come, first-served basis. Since there is no way to know in advance when a gravesite may become available, please contact the cemetery at the time of need to inquire whether space is available.
Military Funeral Honors
Local numbers for Military Funeral Honors:
U.S. Air Force - (202) 767-5338
U.S. Army - (301) 677-2206
U.S. Coast Guard - (301) 769-1600 or (202) 267-0860
U.S. Marine Corps - (800) 847-1597 or (202) 433-2655
U.S. Navy - (301) 677-0860
Maryland National Guard - (410) 576-6133
1st Marine Division, Maryland Chapter - (410) 760-4571
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION
Annapolis National Cemetery is located in Anne Arundel County, within the city limits of Annapolis, Md. Annapolis was one of the 14 national cemeteries established by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The original land was leased in Aug. 1862 from a local resident, Nicholas Brewer, for a period of 99 years. Five years later, Brewer’s heirs sold the land outright to the federal government.
During the Civil War, Annapolis was the site of a Union training and recruiting center. Despite the government’s best efforts to keep the camps sanitary, a large number of men died due to illnesses such as small pox and typhoid, as well as accidents and violence. As a result, most original interments at the cemetery were men who died at the training camps or nearby hospitals.
Annapolis also had a role in the exchange of prisoners between Union and Confederate sides. As early as the War of 1812, there was a well-established practice of paroling prisoners of war so neither side incurred the expense of holding and maintaining the others’ troops for an extended period. While City Point, Va., was the official exchange location, Confederate prisoners were held at Annapolis while arrangements were negotiated. Conversely, Union soldiers held by the Confederacy were often moved to the hospital at Camp Parole, near Annapolis, after their release. At least 24 men buried at Annapolis National Cemetery were former Confederate POWs who died in captivity.
Annapolis National Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Monuments and Memorials
Annapolis has one memorial to Unknown Veterans. It was dedicated to veterans whose remains were not recovered or identified, were buried at sea, donated to science, cremated or had their ashes scattered.
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NOTABLE PERSONS
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FLORAL/GROUNDS POLICY
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 periods when their presence will not interfere with grounds maintenance. As a general rule, artificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 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.
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