January 25, 2013

Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno


click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

In 1937, San Francisco residents voted to bar the opening of new cemeteries within the city proper and, as a result, the site for the new national cemetery was selected about 8 miles south of the city limits. Congress authorized construction of the facility in 1937, with the first burials in 1941.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

This cemetery is frequently confused with San Francisco National Cemetery--the one with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The main view here is simply the incredible number and vastness of graves. As of 2005, the cemetery held 137,435 interments on 161.5 acres.



click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney

Spouses of service-members are offered the opportunity to be buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery. I'm not married, but I think I'll reserve 2 spots so I can really stretch out...


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2 comments:

ClickNCamera said...

Fascinating...love the second shot showing two levels of markers!

photowannabe said...

Great perspective of my old stomping grounds...now that didn't sound right! I lived up the hill from the cemetery in the area called Rollingwood.
I lived there for 8 years and walked down the hill passed the cemetery to El Camino to catch the Greyhound Bus into the City for work.
My goodness that is going back into The Dark Ages for memories.

 
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