There are three Medal of Honor recipients who are buried at Tahoma National Cemetery (TNC). Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy. It is generally presented by the President. The new assistant director at TNC is Veteran Jennifer Dehorty, who gave these details regarding those three Medal of Honor recipients and other ‘notable’ burials:
Jesse T. Barrick (Jan. 18, 1841 – Nov. 3, 1923) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Barrick was awarded the country’s highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action along the Duck River in Tennessee, between May 26 and June 2, 1863. He was honored with the award on March 3, 1917.
Dexter James Kerstetter (Dec. 21, 1907 – July 9, 1972) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military’s highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.
Wilburn K. Ross (May 12, 1922 – May 9, 2017). A United States Army soldier Private Ross received the Medal of Honor for risking his life beyond the call of duty near St. Jacques, France, while serving with Company G, 350th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division during World War II. This is significant because the prominent features of the cemetery road system are named after Washington State Native Medal of Honor recipients.
Other notable burials at Tahoma National Cemetery include the following veterans:
Sergeant First Class Nathan Ross Chapman was the first American serviceman to die from hostile fire in the war in Afghanistan, 2002. Sergeant Chapman was a communications specialist with the 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, WA (Section 6, Grave 33).
Francis Agnes, former POW (1941 to 1945), survivor of the Bataan Death March, and founder of the Tahoma National Cemetery Support Group (Section 24, Grave 717).
Phillip F. Smith was born In Brooklyn New York in 1932 and graduated from high school in California at age 16. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in September 1949 with tours on USCG Cutters: Rhododendron, Bering Strait, and Staten Island. On shore assignments took him to California, Alaska and Washington. In Washington’s 13th Coast Guard District, Smith became one of the first Senior Enlisted Advisors. He served as the Second Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from 1973 to 1977 when he retired. MCPOCG Smith’s advocacy for the Coast Guard’s Senior Enlisted Leader program continues to influence the service in the changes he made on behalf of enlisted men. He died June 22, 2017 and is buried in Tahoma National Cemetery (Section 30B, Grave 126).
Mary Jean Sturdevant was born September 28, 1921 in Oregon. The high school valedictorian then became one of three women to join the civilian pilot program at Southern Oregon University. Upon graduation she became an instructor and trained Army Air Corps cadets. Sturdevant was accepted into the Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) program but her value as an instructor was more important. Stationed at Merced, CA. she flew Army AT-6s and BT-13s and taught male pilots to fly until the WASP program ended in 1945. In 1977 WASPs were recognized as veterans, and in 2009 they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal [the highest civilian award in the U.S.]. Pilot Sturdevant died June 24, 2017. She is buried in Tahoma National Cemetery (Section F, Row B, Grave 3).
Tahoma National Cemetery is open to the public seven days a week from dawn until dusk; the office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Upon entering the cemetery during those hours, visitors can stop at the Public Information Center [PIC] where volunteers will assist with finding graves. Also, there is a gravesite locator outside the building.
“We have maps of the cemetery and volunteers have a lot of knowledge of the grounds.” Dehorty said. Asked if she has a “don’t miss” site or sight to recommend, Dehorty said, “I just like reading the headstones. Different names spark my interest and I will Google the veteran or family member to learn more of their story.” NCA is working on a legacy program so people who visit can learn more about the veterans. Going online to https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/ is another way to locate a veteran in a national cemetery. It is from 1997 to present and is updated daily.
For information regarding a veteran burial, one can call the national cemetery office in St. Louis 1-800-535-1117 (expect a fairly long waiting time), and fax a discharge certificate 1-866-900-6417 or email NCA.Scheduling@va.gov.
