WASHINGTON – Established out of necessity during the Civil War, national
 cemeteries have evolved from simple burial grounds to national memorials
 honoring all those who serve. A new online Civil War Era National
 Cemeteries travel itinerary, developed by the National Park Service and
 the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, is now available at
 www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/national_cemeteries. The itinerary
 commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War by tracing the history
 and importance of the 116 national cemeteries created before 1870.

 “A visit to a national cemetery is accompanied by many emotions –
 gratitude, awe, pride, sadness,” said National Park Service Director
 Jonathan B. Jarvis. “It is important to honor those buried there and
 remember that each one of them made sacrifices, many the ultimate
 sacrifice, to protect our country and our way of life.”

 Maps, information and essays, including one by Harvard University
 President Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust, provide insight into the history and role
 of military cemeteries. The first national cemeteries were started in
 1862; a year after the Civil War began. Although first set aside only for
 those killed in battle, by 1873 any Union veteran of the war could receive
 burial in a national cemetery.

 Today, almost all of the national cemeteries are administered by the
 National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs,
 whose mission is to provide burial benefits to veterans and their
 families. The National Park Service maintains 14 and the Department of the
 Army administers two national cemeteries.

 The National Park Service’s Heritage Education Services and Federal
 Preservation Institute, the Department of Veterans Affairs Historic
 Preservation Office and the National Cemetery Administration History
 Program, and the National Preservation Institute produced the itinerary in
 partnership with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation
 Officers. This itinerary is the 52nd in the online National Park Service
 Discover Our Shared Heritage travel itinerary series. The series supports
 historic preservation, promotes awareness of history, and encourages
 visits to historic places throughout the country.