FORT KNOX, Ky. – It was the only Army cemetery to earn the distinction when the standards were first implemented five years ago. Now, following its second evaluation Aug. 30-31, 2021, the Fort Knox Main Post Cemetery has maintained its National Shrine Status.
Chief of the Fort Knox Casualty Assistance Center Dave Marcum said the accomplishment belongs to everyone involved.
“Everybody on the team has the commitment and compassion to maintain it,” said Marcum. “They really take a great deal of pride in it.”
When Marcum started in his position at Fort Knox just over a decade ago, he said there wasn’t a flag flying over the gravesites.
“My first visit as the cemetery responsible official was in 2010, and I was flabbergasted that it was in such disarray,” said Marcum. “It was in need of some love.”
Working together with several other departments on the installation, Marcum said he began the task of bringing the cemetery to a state everyone could be proud of. Projects included headstone replacement, repairing the shelter house and stone wall, and extensive landscaping.
“It wasn’t an easy task. It wasn’t going to be something that just happened in a year,” said Marcum. “It’s an ongoing process.”
When the Office of Army Cemeteries, headquartered at Arlington National Cemetery, created a set of standards for military cemeteries, Marcum said it gave him a new goal.
“In 2016 the National Shrine standards gave something for the post cemeteries to strive for across the entire Army,” said Marcum.
Marcum said while he was thrilled when Fort Knox’s Main Post Cemetery became the first and only installation to acquire National Shrine Status upon the standards’ inception, he was immediately anxious for the next evaluation. However, there was an unavoidable delay.
“It’s tri-annual, so it took a while because of [the COVID pandemic],” said Marcum. “Once you [earn Shrine Status] it’s hard to maintain, because now you have a standard to live up to.”
Prior to the 2021 assessment by Arlington, Fort Knox was the sole recipient of the status. Fort Leavenworth became the only other installation to achieve the status this year.
The Fort Knox Cultural Resources Office reports the Main Post Cemetery’s history spans a century, with its initial rectangular layout forming just after World War I and the original stone wall being erected in the 1930s. Within its borders lie two older cemeteries – the Reuben Jones and Pearson cemeteries – which have much older burial sites, to include a person born in 1776.
In addition to the many Soldiers and Family members buried there, there are a number of prominent interments at the Main Post Cemetery – including Medal of Honor recipient Master Sgt. Ernest Kouma.
Adjacent to the Main Post Cemetery is St. Patrick’s Cemetery, which Marcum said is overseen by the Catholic Church. With its close proximity however, Marcum stated Fort Knox maintains its landscaping to provide visitors with an overall beautiful atmosphere when they come to pay their respects.
According to Marcum, though the cemetery may be a place where America’s heroes are laid to rest, keeping it beautiful isn’t just for them.
“Cemeteries are not for the dead,” said Marcum. “Cemeteries are for the living.”
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