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Golden Gate National CemeteryGolden Gate National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery, located in the city of San Bruno, San Mateo County, 12 miles south of San Francisco. Because of the name and location, it is frequently confused with San Francisco National Cemetery, which dates to the 19th century and is in the Presidio of San Francisco, in view of the Golden Gate. About 1937, San Francisco residents voted to no longer build cemeteries within the city proper and, as a result, the site for the new national cemetery was selected south of the city limits. Congress authorized construction of the facility in 1937, with the first interments in 1941. The cemetery was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1942. Then-Attorney General Earl Warren (and later Chief Justice of the United States) was keynote speaker at the ceremony. Golden Gate is one of a large number of U.S. Army-planned cemeteries started in the 1930s and completed during the 1940s. They were designed specifically to provide abundant burial opportunities in locations around the nation in cities with very large veteran populations. Over the years several attempts to expand Golden Gate National Cemetery were met with resistance from local residents, so it has remained at its original 161.5 acres (65.4 ha) since 1941. Monuments and Memorials The American Veterans donated a Schulmerich carillon to the cemetery as part of their worldwide living memorial carillon program. The carillon was dedicated May 30, 1958. Notable Burials Medal of Honor Recipients (Dates are of the actions for which they were awarded the Medal of Honor.) Other Burials One of America's most valiant naval officers—Adm. Chester W. Nimitz—is buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery. At his suggestion, a number of distinguished officers who served under him are also buried here: Admirals Raymond A. Spruance, Richmond K. Turner, and fellow submariner Charles A. Lockwood. The 44 German and Italian prisoners-of-war interred here were captured in North Africa after the collapse of the German Afrika Corps under the command of Lt. Gen. Erwin Rommel in 1943. The POWs were housed at Camp Beale and Camp Cook in California and Camp Rupert in Idaho, where they were originally buried at the respective post cemeteries. When the posts closed, the POWs were re-interred at Golden Gate. External links
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