Rock Island National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located within Rock Island Arsenal near the city of Rock Island, Illinois. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of the end of 2006, had 24,525 interments. The cemetery is also nearing compliance with the National Shrine guidelines, due to its use of college students during the summer to reset and realign stones. When looking from any one stone there should be seven lines visible and all should be straight.
History
The cemetery was established in 1863 as a place to inter the remains of American Civil War Union army soldiers. Its initial placement interfered with the expansion of the Arsenal's facilities, so it was moved to a location on the northern end of the island. Civil War veterans who were interred in Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport, Iowa, were later disinterred and moved to the National Cemetery. Property transfers from the Arsenal in 1926, 1936, and 1950 increased the cemetery's area. There are plans for further expansion of this cemetery including an additional pavilion, more land, and a wall for cremations near the tank track.
A second, cemetery was established near Rock Island National Cemetery to bury Confederate prisoners of war, nearly two thousand of which would die while in captivity on the island, primarily from the harsh living conditions.
Notable interments
Medal of Honor recipients
Private First Class Edward J. Moskala (1921–1945), United States Army Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II Private First Class Frank P. Witek (1921–1944), United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient for action in World War II
Other burials
Gene Baker (1925–1999), Major League Baseball player, coach, and scout
Lane Evans (1951–2014), Congressman, Illinois's 17th congressional district
Jeff Pfeffer (1888–1972), Major League Baseball player from 1911 to 1924
Brevet Brigadier General Thomas Jackson Rodman (1816–1871), commander at the Rock Island Arsenal and developer of the Rodman gun Ralph Ignatowski (1926–1945), Rifleman, Battle of Iwo Jima