GENERAL INFORMATION

As the majority of our staff are veterans, we are especially aware of the many and varied sacrifices made by our Nation's service men and women and their families. We are committed to maintaining our grounds in a manner reflecting the honors that are due. We will make every effort to demonstrate sensitivity to those who have suffered a loss. It is our practice to accommodate each family's needs.

Military Funeral Honors
Although Black Hills National Cemetery does not have an honor guard, there are several honor guards in the area that provide military funeral honors for families. Please call a funeral director for availability.
back to top

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Black Hills National Cemetery is located three miles east of Sturgis, S.D., in the shadows of the Black Hills. This region is the homeland of Lakota Indians who traversed the Great Plains before the advent of Europeans in the mid 18th century. French explorers first arrived in the early 1740s, and Spain acquired sovereignty over the region in 1762. The 1803 Louisiana Purchase gave the United States title to the region. Yet, until 1856 when Fort Randall was established, fur trappers and traders were the sole European settlers. Soon after, the towns of Vermillion and Yankton became permanent establishments, and by 1861 the Dakota Territory had been formed.
The greatest rush of European immigration came in 1874 when gold was discovered in the Black Hills. A wave of prospectors flooded the area, radically transforming the region and causing disturbances as well as creating opportunities. Legally, the Black Hills had been closed to white settlement under the Treaty of Fort Laramie. The military, however, was in no position to halt the advancing settlers. In fact, it was the military that encouraged white encroachment when the 7th Cavalry, under Gen. George Custer, reported the discovery of gold.

America’s first transcontinental railroad was completed in May 1869 through the combined efforts of government and private corporations. Subsidiary rail lines such as the Dakota Southern Railroad, established in 1872, proved to be more important for bringing newcomers into the region. Between 1870 and 1890, the white population in the Dakota Territory increased six times.

The influx of white intruders into the Great Sioux Reservation culminated in a war of cultures at the Battle of Little Bighorn in June 1876. As a result of Custer’s defeat, Native Americans were forced to cede the Black Hills and accept a reduction in their reservation area. This cleared the way for further development by white settlers, which further angered the Native Americans. As a result, the Fort Meade military reservation was established in the region shortly afterwards. The last serious cultural conflict began in the fall of 1890 with the death of Sitting Bull and ended with the massacre of hundreds of Native Americans at Wounded Knee. Afterwards, barriers to settlement of the region eased.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, new railroads were laid across the Dakotas and aided in the further development of numerous communities. In 1890, Pierre was chosen as the permanent capital of South Dakota. Twelve years later, in 1902, the Battle Mountain Sanitorium was established in nearby Hot Springs to aid in the care of veterans within the region. Cemeteries at both the Fort Meade Military Reservation and the former sanitorium eventually became a part of the National Cemetery System in 1973.

Monuments and Memorials
In 1990, a memorial carillon was dedicated at the cemetery.

A memorial to Korean War veterans was dedicated in 2002.

Bivouac of the Dead erected 2004.
back to top

NOTABLE BURIALS

Medal of Honor Recipients
Sergeant Charles Windolph (Indian Campaigns), Troop H, 7th Cavalry. Battle at Little Big Horn, Mont., June 25 – 26, 1876 (Section A, Grave 239 directly across from the front doors of the administration building).

Other Burials
Senator Francis H. Case was transferred from a private cemetery on Dec. 3, 1981 and rests in Section F, Grave 789.

Brigadier General Richard E. Ellsworth, Commander of Rapid City Air Force Base (which was renamed Ellsworth Air Force Base in his honor).
back to top

FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Fresh 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, 18" in diameter, may be placed on graves from Thanksgiving through January 15. Grave blankets of any size are not permitted. Because of the high winds we frequently experience, we provide foil markers, in the front foyer, to secure to the floral arrangements in case the flowers are blown off the gravesites. 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.
back to top