View source for Black Hills National Cemetery

{{Short description|Veterans cemetery in Meade County, South Dakota}}
{{good article}}
{{About|the cemetery south of Sturgis, South Dakota, originally called Fort Meade National Cemetery|the original cemetery at Fort Meade|Fort Meade National Cemetery}}
{{Infobox cemetery
|name        = Black Hills National Cemetery
|image       = Black Hills National Cemetery 3 small.jpg
|imagesize   = 240
|alt         = Several rows of uniform military headstones fill the image, stretching into the horizon line, interrupted by a few conifer trees. A few of the graves have floral bouquets laid against them. The Black Hills are just visible in the distance.
|caption     = Headstones in the Black Hills National Cemetery
|mapframe    = yes
|mapframe-zoom = 14
|mapframe-wikidata = yes
|mapframe-id = Q4920966
|established = {{Start date and age|1948|10|03}}
|country     = {{USA}}
|location    = [[Sturgis, South Dakota]]
|coordinates = {{Coord|44.3688669|N|103.4757336|W|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-VA_scale:10000_source:GNIS|display=inline,title}}
|type        = Public, national
|owner       = [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs]]
|size        = {{convert|105.9|acre}}<ref name="va2019"/>
|graves      = 23,000+{{efn|The number of graves and interments are not the same, as multiple family members may be interred in the same grave.}}<ref name="erwin2017">{{cite press release |last=Erwin |first=Nicolas Z. |date=May 30, 2017 |title=Black Hills National Cemetery remembers fallen veterans, Ellsworth Airmen help honor them |url=https://www.ellsworth.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1197316/black-hills-national-cemetery-remembers-fallen-veterans-ellsworth-airmen-help-h/ |location=Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota |publisher=[[Ellsworth Air Force Base]] |agency= |access-date=February 18, 2024}}</ref>
|interments  = 29,000+<ref name="va2019"/>
|website     = {{URL|http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/blackhills.asp|Black Hills Nat'l Cemetery}}
|findagraveid = 96818
|embedded    =
{{Infobox NRHP
| embed      = yes
| nrhp_type  = hd
| architect  = 
| added      = May 17, 2016
| refnum     = 16000258
}}
}}
'''Black Hills National Cemetery''', originally named '''Fort Meade National Cemetery''', is a [[United States National Cemetery]] near [[Sturgis, South Dakota]]. Named after the nearby [[Black Hills]], over 29,000 interments of military veterans and their family members have taken place since its founding in 1948. It is administered by the [[United States Department of Veterans Affairs|U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs]] (VA), which also operates the nearby [[Fort Meade National Cemetery]]. It was the first national cemetery in South Dakota and is currently the only one open to new burials.

Prominent features of the cemetery include its committal shelter, where memorial services and events are held, and the Avenue of Flags leading up to it. Although primarily hosting lawn graves, three [[columbarium|columbaria]] were built in 2010, which allow the interment of ashes. Several memorial structures have been placed on the grounds since its inception, including one each for veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Multiple notable people are buried in the cemetery.

==History==
===Establishment===
The cemetery was established from land that once formed part of [[Fort Meade (South Dakota)|Fort Meade]]. When the fort officially closed as a military installation in 1944, most of its surrounding land was divided among various local interests. This closure coincided with a renewed need by the [[Department of the Army]] for military burial space following [[World War II]] and an aging veteran population from World War I and other previous conflicts. The Department of the Army took notice that the closest military cemetery for Black Hills veterans was at [[Fort Snelling National Cemetery]] in [[Minnesota]], several hundred miles away. In July 1947, Chief of the Memorial Division of the Quartermaster Corps George Horkan was placed in charge of surveying the Fort Meade area for a potential new cemetery site.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=9}}

Although Fort Meade had its own cemetery dating back to the 19th century, a number of factors prevented the VA from repurposing it. Firstly, it was deemed too small in size;{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=9}} originally, the VA considered moving the existing bodies to Fort Snelling to make room for new burials, but cancelled this plan after facing considerable pushback from local cities.<ref name="dedicationldc">{{cite news |title=Fort Meade National Cemetery Dedicated |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lead-daily-call-fort-meade-national-ceme/141434287/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=Lead Daily Call |date=October 4, 1948 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/lead-daily-call-fort-meade-national-ceme/141434287/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/lead-daily-call-ft-meade-cemetery/141434467/ 5] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The Fort Meade cemetery was also rather remote, and access roads were in poor condition. Finally, the bodies could not be moved without contacting next-of-kin, a task which would have proven impossible due to the age of many of the burials.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Bob |title=Ridin' the Range |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-rapid-city-journal-r/18273380/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=March 19, 1950 |page=10 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

The search for a new plot continued until 1948, when {{convert|105.9|acres}}{{sfn|National Cemetery System|1974}} of land were chosen south of Sturgis for the new burial ground. This location was more favorable due to plentiful room for further expansion, as well as being easily accessible from [[Interstate 90 in South Dakota|Interstate 90]]. The land was transferred from public domain holdings, and the [[United States Department of the Army]] handled preparation of the grounds and construction of the first facilities.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=9}} Original plans were drawn up by the [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]].{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=10}} Groundbreaking occurred on June 6, 1948.<ref name="beauty"/> Ernest Schanze, himself a World War II veteran who had worked in cemetery management before the war, was chosen as the first superintendent.<ref name="beauty"/>

The first seven burials took place in private ceremonies held in September 1948, during the week leading up to the actual dedication of the cemetery. These were all service members killed in action during World War II, whose unclaimed remains had been in storage at the Kansas City Quartermaster Depot.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=9}} The first four were Sergeant Carl Hasselstrom, Captain Charles Durfee, Technician Gerhard Biberdorf, and Staff Sergeant Harold Johnson, all interred on September 27;<ref name="cissell2003"/> the last three, Private First Class Henry Brown, Lieutenant Clinton Derscheid, and Private First Class Charles Swimmer, were interred on September 30.<ref name="dedicationset">{{cite news |title=Fort Meade Cemetery Dedication Plans Set |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-fort-meade-cemetery-d/141422443/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=September 29, 1948 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-fort-meade-cemetery-d/141422443/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-fort-meade/141424336/ 2] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

===Naming===
Originally, Horkan proposed the name Black Hills National Cemetery to avoid confusion with the nearby pre-existing burial ground, but paperwork filed in June 1948 named the new cemetery as the Fort Meade National Cemetery instead.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=9}} Efforts soon began to rename the cemetery, backed by U.S. Senator [[Francis Case]]. On November 11 ([[Veterans Day]]), 1949, the new cemetery was renamed to Black Hills National Cemetery<ref name="renaming1949">{{cite news |title=National Cemetery Becomes 'Black Hills' On November 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-national-cemetery-bec/141443005/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=October 23, 1949 |page=32 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> to avoid confusion with both the nearby site and [[Fort Meade]] in [[Maryland]].{{sfn|National Cemetery System|1974|p=4}}

===Dedication===
On October 3, 1948, the cemetery was officially dedicated, marking the official opening of the state's first national cemetery. Between 2,500 and 3,000 people attended.<ref name="dedicationldc"/><ref name="dedrcj">{{cite news |title=3,000 Attend U. S. Cemetery Service Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-3000-attend-u-s-ce/141438527/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=October 4, 1948 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-3000-attend-u-s-ce/141438527/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-3000-attend/141438860/ 2] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Speeches were delivered by Case; Harry Johnson, vice commander of the [[Tenth Air Force]]; and South Dakota Governor [[George T. Mickelson]]. Mickelson quoted the [[Gettysburg Address]], and Case's speech concluded, "For those who can sleep here, South Dakota showers will freshen the grass; South Dakota snows will blanket their graves in winter and South Dakota sun will warm them in spring."<ref name="dedicationldc"/>

The dedication ceremony concluded with a flyover by the [[South Dakota Air National Guard]]'s [[175th Fighter Squadron]], which dropped flowers from the sky.<ref name="dedicationldc"/> A military parade ensued, led by units from local [[American Legion]] and [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]] posts, [[Ellsworth Air Force Base]], and a nurse unit from the Fort Meade Veterans Association Hospital.<ref name="dedicationset"/><ref name="lead1948">{{cite news |title=Lead Legion Hears Report On Cemetery |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-lead-legion-hears-rep/141415300/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=September 24, 1948 |location=Lead, South Dakota |page=12 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

===Later history and expansions===
The original plot of developed land measured only {{convert|6|acre}} and consisted of Sections A–E.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=10–11}} Land was periodically developed as needed for more graves. The first Memorial Day celebration was held on May 30, 1949. By the end of its first year, Black Hills National Cemetery had 91 total interments.<ref name="renaming1949"/> By 1974, approximately 5,000 burials had taken place.{{sfn|National Cemetery System|1974|p=5}}

Several expansions and developments have taken place since the cemetery's establishment, with improvements beginning almost immediately after its opening.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=10–12}} The Omaha district of the Corps of Engineers oversaw most of the early developments. In 1951, 229 trees and 1,200 shrubs were planted, metal gates and fencing were erected at the entrance, and the superintendent's home was built.<ref name="beauty"/>

The search for a reliable underground water source to support more vegetation was given priority, although it took several years. Multiple failed drilling attempts by H. Hackett and Sons, Inc.<ref name="wellfive">{{cite news |title=Working Five Years on Well: R.C. Contractor Is Unhappy With Omaha Army Engineers; Loses Money on Instructions |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/argus-leader-rc-contractor-is-unhappy/141688215/ |access-date=February 20, 2024 |work=[[Argus-Leader]] |agency=Associated Press |date=October 7, 1953 |location=Rapid City, South Dakota |page=24 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and Layne Minnesota Co. were marred by cave-ins and lost equipment;<ref name="beauty">{{cite news |title=Beautification Work Underway At Federal Cemetery |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-beautification-work-u/141625605/ |access-date=February 20, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=September 16, 1951 |page=20 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> one subcontracted drilling company went bankrupt as a result. William Hackett, president of Hackett and Sons, blamed the Corps of Engineers for the failures.<ref name="wellfive"/> The pump house was finally completed in 1955.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=11}}

Initial plans included space for a [[chapel]], but this apparently was never constructed. The Avenue of Flags was added in 1967 and expanded in 1975. The National Cemetery System, a branch of the VA, took over management of almost all national cemeteries in 1973, including the Black Hills National Cemetery. The administration building was constructed at that time, and the committal shelter soon followed in 1978, in the space once reserved for the chapel. In the 1990s, the superintendent's office was demolished and the administration building was expanded with new offices and restroom facilities.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=10–12}}

In 2018, [[Kristi Noem]] sponsored the [[Black Hills Cemetery Act]] in Congress that approved a further expansion of the Black Hills National Cemetery.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Huber|first1=Chris|title=Bill to expand Black Hills National Cemetery is headed to the President|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/bill-to-expand-black-hills-national-cemetery-is-headed-to/article_be332783-61f0-5e21-aa0e-1298d3dc378a.html|work=[[Rapid City Journal]] |access-date=February 17, 2024 |date=May 17, 2018 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> The following year, the VA obtained an additional {{convert|181.32|acre}} of land through the Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act, which was signed into law by President [[Donald Trump]] on May 25, 2018.<ref name="va2019">{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=VA Acquires Land to Expand Black Hills National Cemetery |url=https://www.cem.va.gov/pressreleases/Black_Hills_National_Cemetery_Expansion.asp |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs]] |agency= |date=April 11, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2024}}</ref> This more than doubled the available space in the cemetery.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Huber |first1=Chris |title=Senate passes bill to expand cemetery |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-senate-passes-bill-to/152974209/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=Rapid City Journal |date=January 2, 2018 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-senate-passes-bill-to/152974209/ A1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-cemetery/152974366/ A5] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=140px>
File:HISTORIC IMAGE- AERIAL VIEW WITH THE CEMETERY IN BACKGROUND. PHOTOGRAPH 29 OCTOBER 1959. NCA HISTORY COLLECTION. - Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, HALS SD-2-22 (cropped).tif|1959, looking south; aerial view showing only the entrance buildings and first sections completed
File:HISTORIC IMAGE- AERIAL VIEW WITH THE CEMETERY IN BACKGROUND. PHOTOGRAPH SEPTEMBER 1976. NCA HISTORY COLLECTION. - Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, HALS SD-2-21 (cropped).tif|1976, looking south; by this time, the cemetery had expanded to the west
File:HISTORIC IMAGE- AERIAL VIEW WITH NEW EXPRESSWAY IN FOREGROUND. PHOTOGRAPH 19 SEPTEMBER 1978. NCA HISTORY COLLECTION. - Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, HALS SD-2-23 (cropped).tif|1978, north at top; the parking loop and committal shelter on the western edge were added
File:OVERVIEW OF CEMETERY FROM ELEVATED RIDGE. VIEW TO NORTHEAST. - Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, Meade County, SD HALS SD-2-20 (cropped).tif|2006, looking east; the cemetery has expanded south and added loop roads
</gallery>

===National Register of Historic Places===
The entire cemetery{{efn|Although claiming to encompass the entire cemetery,{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=3}} the National Register of Historic Places listing includes only {{convert|105.4|acre}},{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=14}} although the VA maintains the cemetery's total area is {{convert|105.9|acre}}.{{sfn|National Cemetery System|1974}}<ref name="va2019"/> The listing also precedes the 2019 expansion. {{As of|2024}}, the remaining acreage has not been added to the listing.}} was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on May 17, 2016, under criterion A for historical importance. The 23 contributing properties included the administration building, two maintenance buildings, the committal shelter, a pump house, all three [[columbaria]], the flagpoles on the Avenue of Flags, and all three memorials and plaques that had been installed by the time of listing.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=4}}

==Description==
The Black Hills National Cemetery is located off of exit 34 of Interstate 90, {{convert|3|mi}} southeast of Sturgis in [[Meade County, South Dakota]], in the foothills of the Black Hills. The original cemetery was only {{convert|6|acres}}; this original plot included the administration building and the entrance plaza.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=10}} The original area included {{convert|105.9|acre}} of land,{{sfn|National Cemetery System|1974}} which was expanded by {{convert|181.32|acre}} in 2019.<ref name="va2019"/> The cemetery is open daily between sunrise and sunset.<ref name="va">{{cite web |title=Black Hills National Cemetery |url=https://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/blackhills.asp |website=National Cemetery Administration |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs]] |access-date=February 15, 2024}}</ref>

{{As of|2019}}, over 29,000 interments have been made.<ref name="va2019"/> About 650 interments take place annually.<ref name="higbee2017">{{cite magazine |last=Higbee |first=Paul |date=November–December 2017 |title=Stories Beneath the Stones |url=https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/stories-beneath-the-stones |magazine=[[South Dakota Magazine]] |location= |publisher= |access-date=February 15, 2024}}</ref> Those eligible for burial in the cemetery are veterans with a non-dishonorable discharge, active service members, their spouses, and dependent children.<ref name="manus2019"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hanson |first1=Gordon |title=Many national cemeteries filling up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-many-national-cemeter/152975609/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=Rapid City Journal |date=May 26, 1985 |page=17 |department=Lifestyle |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

As the other two national cemeteries in South Dakota, Fort Meade National Cemetery and [[Hot Springs National Cemetery]], are closed to new burials, Black Hills National Cemetery is the only one currently accepting new interments.<ref name="cissell2003"/>

===Facilities===
The {{convert|2160|sqft|adj=mid}} administration building serves as the official and archival headquarters for the cemetery and doubles as the visitors center. It also has public restroom facilities. Completed in 1973, it is a simple, rectangular, red brick building with a concrete-tiled [[gable roof]].{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=4}}

The committal shelter, dedicated on Memorial Day 1978, functions as a central events venue where services and tributes are held. It is a one-story octagonal round building, partially dug out into the hill behind it, and has a total floor area of about {{convert|2200|sqft}}. Its octagonal roof has a matching [[cupola]] at its center, with eight skylights centered around a ninth.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=5}}

Two maintenance buildings are positioned behind the administration. The oldest dates to 1949; in 1967, this one was renovated and the second building was added. Both buildings were further expanded and developed in 1995. Like the administration ward, both buildings are similar in construction: they are simple rectangular structures on concrete foundations, with gabled roofs and double-hung sash windows. Garage doors provide access for large maintenance vehicles. They have a combined total area of about {{convert|6180|sqft}}.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=4–5}}

Three stone columbaria were added in 2010. Each is rectangular and has five sections stepped-up against the adjacent hillside. Each niche is fronted with a marble panel containing the interment inscriptions.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=6}}

===Layout===
[[File:Black Hills National Cemetery.jpg|thumb|right|Part of the Avenue of Flags]]
The grounds themselves consist of a manicured grass lawn, upon which burials are carried out, with trees arranged or otherwise scattered throughout the property. The cemetery is subdivided into multiple sections numbered A–S and MA, MB, MG, and ML. These "M" sections, also called the Memory Stone sections,<ref name="cissell2003">{{cite news |last1=Cissell |first1=Bill |title=Site testifies to battle for freedom |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-site-testifies-to-bat/141274857/ |access-date=February 17, 2024 |department=Local |location=Sturgis |work=[[Rapid City Journal]] |date=October 1, 2003 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-site-testifies-to-bat/141274857/ C1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-cemetery-open/141276842/ C6] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> hold [[cenotaph]]s dedicated to service members who have gone [[missing in action]] (MIA) and whose bodies have not been recovered or identified.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=11}}

The grave markers are marble upright headstones. All are uniform in appearance; each one weighs {{convert|230|lbs}} and is {{convert|42|in|m}} tall. The cemetery's policy is to maintain no more than {{frac|1|8}} of an inch variance between each headstone.<ref name="cissell2003"/>

The administration and maintenance buildings are all situated next to the entrance plaza on the northeast corner of the cemetery. The committal shelter sits at the back western edge of the cemetery. Three rectangular columbaria, located just east of the committal shelter, provide space for interment of ashes. South of the columbaria, a pond with a fountain sits on a hill on the southwest corner of the site; a red brick pump house is located next to the pond. Benches provide seating throughout the cemetery.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=3–4}}

The cemetery's main thoroughfares are the North and South Mall Drives. These asphalt roads extend from the entrance south-westwards and terminate in a parking loop in front of the committal shelter. Mall Drive is also lined with the Avenue of Flags, a row of dozens of United States flags that are flown annually between May and October, as well as a [[National League of POW/MIA Families|POW/MIA]] flag. Several loop roads branch off of the Mall Drives and provide access to other sections of the cemetery. All roads are lined with concrete curbs, and widened pulloffs are positioned throughout the grounds.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=3–4}}

===Memorials===
[[File:FRONT ELEVATION OF KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL, SECTION E. VIEW TO NORTHWEST. - Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, Meade County, SD HALS SD-2-8 (cropped).tif|thumb|right|The Korean War Memorial in the cemetery|alt=Black-and-white photograph of a large granite memorial. Inscribed are a large United States flag, and below it is text dedicating the monument to Korean War veterans. It includes the dates of the war and a map of Korea.]]
Several memorials, monuments, and commemorative plaques dedicated to service members of various conflicts have been placed in the cemetery. Plans for memorials dedicated to casualties and service during specific U.S. conflicts have been discussed at least as early as 1948.<ref name="lead1948"/> The extant memorials include:
* Memorial carillon: Installed in 1975, this [[carillon]] sits near the pond and features a tower with an associated memorial plaque. The system was first replaced in 1990 and a second time in 2005.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=6,11}}<ref name="va"/>
* Blue Star Memorial: In 2000, the Evergreen Garden Club of [[Hill City, South Dakota|Hill City]] donated this monument to the cemetery administration. It is a simple aluminum plaque on a pole located opposite the entrance to the committal shelter, named for the blue star associated with [[service flag]]s that are often posted along highways and military service sites.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=6}}
* Korean War Memorial: Established in May 2002 by the South Dakota Korean War Veterans Association, this granite memorial commemorates the South Dakotan servicemembers of the Korean War. It sits just west of the committal shelter.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=6}}<ref name="va"/>
* Bivouac of the Dead: This is an aluminum plaque set on a granite base erected in 2003. It contains a portion of the [[Bivouac of the Dead|poem of the same name]] by [[Theodore O'Hara]].{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=4,6}}<ref name="va"/>
* 52 Charlie Missing Wingman Memorial: A bronze plaque set in a granite monument dedicated to the memory of missing [[United States Air Force]] service members. It was unveiled by the USAF Pilot Training Class 52-Charlie in May 2007.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=6}}<ref name="va"/>
* Gettysburg Address plaque: A cast-iron plaque commemorating President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 [[Gettysburg Address]] was installed on [[Memorial Day]] 2012.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|p=6}}
* Medal of Honor Bicentennial Plaque: A memorial commemorating recipients of the Medal of Honor, placed near Columbarium A. An associated memorial tree was removed in 2010 with the construction of the adjacent columbaria.{{sfn|Mehls|2016|pp=3,4,6}}
* Vietnam War Memorial: Similar to the Korean War Memorial, this monument memorializes the those who served in the Vietnam War and was established in 2019.<ref name="va"/>
* USN Seabees Memorial: In 2021, a new monument was dedicated to the [[United States Naval Construction Battalions]], nicknamed Seabees.<ref name="va"/>

==Notable interments==
[[File:Grave of Richard Ellsworth.jpg|thumb|Richard Ellsworth's gravesite]]
Several notable individuals have been interred in the cemetery since its establishment in 1948. Two World War II Lakota [[code talkers]], John Bear King and Clarence Eugene Wolf Guts, are buried here.<ref name="va"/><ref name="manus2019">{{cite news |last1=Manus |first1=Tanya |title=VA acquires 181 acres near Sturgis |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-bhnc-expansion/119357939/ |access-date=February 17, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal]] |date=April 23, 2019 |page=A1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Three victims of [[Ellsworth Air Force Base#History#Postwar era, 1945–1947#28th Bombardment Wing, 1948–1958|a B-36 crash]] that occurred near Ellsworth Air Force Base on August 27, 1954, were buried at the national cemetery in the days following the incident.<ref>{{cite news |title=B-36 Crash Claims Another |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-b-36-crash-claims-ano/141692774/ |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal|Rapid City Daily Journal]] |date=1 September 1954 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-b-36-crash-claims-ano/141692774/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-b-36-crash/141693315/ 4] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Other notable graves include:

* [[James Abourezk]], U.S. Senator, Korean War U.S. Navy veteran<ref>{{cite web |title=Remembering U.S. Senator and 2012 Inductee James Abourezk |url=https://www.sdhalloffame.org/news/remembering-us-senator-and-2012-inductee-james-abourezk |website=South Dakota Hall of Fame |access-date=August 6, 2024 |date=February 27, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Dave Bald Eagle]], [[Lakota people|Lakota]] chief, actor and stuntman, U.S. Army veteran<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wagner |first1=Kenzie |title=Minicoujou Chief David Bald Eagle Interment Set At Black Hills National Cemetery |url=https://www.sdpb.org/news/2016-07-28/minicoujou-chief-david-bald-eagle-interment-set-at-black-hills-national-cemetery |access-date=August 6, 2024 |work=South Dakota Public Broadcasting |date=July 28, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Francis Higbee Case]], U.S. Senator and Representative, World War I veteran<ref name="va"/><ref name="higbee2017"/>
* Brigadier General [[Richard E. Ellsworth]]<ref name="va"/>
* [[William J. Janklow]], U.S. Representative and [[Governor of South Dakota]], U.S. Marine<ref name="ngl">{{cite web |title=Nationwide Gravesite Locator |url=https://www.cem.va.gov/nationwide-gravesite-locator/ |website=National Cemetery Administration |publisher=U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |access-date=August 6, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Doris Leader Charge]], Lakota educator and actress<ref name="ngl"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Steve |title=Lakota teacher Leader Charge dies |url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/lakota-teacher-leader-charge-dies/article_5996754b-f6d7-5b51-aea1-e16978fe0f3f.html |access-date=August 6, 2024 |work=[[Rapid City Journal]] |date=February 19, 2001 |location=Mission}}</ref>
* Commander [[John Charles Waldron]] (cenotaph only), U.S. Navy, lost at sea during the [[Battle of Midway]], [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] recipient<ref name="ngl"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Joan |title=Dakota Images |journal=South Dakota History |publisher=South Dakota State Historical Society |date=1992 |volume=22 |number=3 |pages=308–309 |url=https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-22-3/dakota-images-john-c-waldron/vol-22-no-3-dakota-images-john-c-waldron.pdf |access-date=August 6, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Charles Windolph]], Medal of Honor recipient for action at the [[Battle of Little Bighorn]] during the Indian Wars<ref name="va"/><ref>{{cite news |title='Medal' recipient names to be enshrined |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lead-daily-call-medal-recipient-names/152971464/ |access-date=August 9, 2024 |work=Lead Daily Call |date=July 20, 1976 |page=1 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of cemeteries in South Dakota]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Meade County, South Dakota]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |last1=Mehls |first1=Steve F. |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Black Hills National Cemetery |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/16000258 |website=NPGallery |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=February 15, 2024 |date=May 17, 2016}}
* {{cite book |author1=<!--Not stated--> |title=Black Hills National Cemetery |date=May 1974 |publisher=National Cemetery System, Veterans Administration |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Mj6xhAsc_8C&pg=PA9 |access-date=February 19, 2024 |via=[[Google Books]]|ref={{harvid|National Cemetery System|1974}}}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/ National Cemetery Administration]
* [http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/cems/nchp/blackhills.asp Black Hills National Cemetery]
* {{HALS |survey=SD-2 |id=sd0089 |title=Black Hills National Cemetery, 20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, Meade, SD}}
* {{Find a Grave cemetery}}
* {{GNIS|type=retired|1261284}}

{{National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Protected areas of Meade County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:United States national cemeteries]]
[[Category:Historic American Landscapes Survey in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Sturgis, South Dakota]]
[[Category:Black Hills]]
[[Category:Carillons]]
[[Category:Cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Meade County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:1948 establishments in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Cemeteries established in the 1940s]]