Fort Knox 2019 Memorial Day Flag Folding Ceremony

The post’s annual Memorial Day ceremony will be at the Main Post Cemetery here at 11:30 a.m. May 31, and the installation will have its annual cemetery visitation here the same day.

The ceremony will include remarks by Adjutant General of the Army Brig. Gen. Hope Rampy. During the event, Rampy will participate in a ceremonial wreath laying – a tradition honoring all U.S. service members who lost their lives in defense of the United States. The event will also feature a 21-gun salute, Prisoners of War/Missing in Action remembrance ceremony, flag folding and the playing of taps.

While the ceremony isn’t open to the general public this year due to space limitations, it can be viewed later in the day on the Fort Knox Facebook page.

Memorial Day also marks the day of the year when the 118 cemeteries on Fort Knox will be open to the families of the more than 3,500 people buried on post. Access to the cemeteries will be made available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Fort Knox Range Operations staff will be posted at six checkpoints around the installation to help those seeking specific gravesites. Those needing to locate checkpoints may also visit the Fort Knox Visitor Center at the Chaffee (main) Gate to obtain an event-specific map or speak with the Cultural Resources team for further assistance.

Several of the cemeteries have ties to former area towns such as Stithton, Grahamton, and Pitts Point, as well as rural church cemeteries and family graveyards. Additionally, some relatives of President Abraham Lincoln are buried on Fort Knox, to include his grandmother, Bathsheba (Bersheba) Lincoln.

All visitors ages 18 and older must be prepared to provide a valid driver’s license and cell phone number when entering any checkpoint. All vehicles are subject to search upon entry. Prohibited items include: firearms, alcohol or glass containers of any kind, digging implements and metal detectors. Visitors are required to stay on the established road network while in the range complex.