Houston National Cemetery Hemicycle

Although no direct family relations are buried there, my family and I visited the Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas yesterday. The cemetery is beautiful and very well maintained. It was a nice, sunny day, although a bit windy and chilly. We hope to visit again this summer when the grass is greener and the flowers are in bloom. Click here for the entire picture set from our visit.

My wife’s co-worker, Bruce Alan Johnson, recently passed away, and is buried there. His obituary appeared in the Houston Chronicle 12/21/2009:

Bruce Alan Johnson Headstone

BRUCE A. JOHNSON, 62, of Houston, passed away on Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. He was born on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1947, in Galesburg, IL to Floy and Herman Johnson. After years of service to the US Military and Texas Children’s Hospital, he leaves behind four sisters and two brothers, Leslie Fletcher of Houston, TX, Kathy (Donald) Bell of Aledo, IL, Randi (Bruce) Richardson of El Cajon, CA, and Sue (Rob) Carey of Katy, TX, Steve (Kristy) Johnson of Galesburg, IL, and Craig Johnson of Pittsburg, PA, along with several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by both his mother and father.Visitation will be at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m., 6700 Ferris St., Tues., Dec. 22, 2009. The funeral will be held Wed., Dec. 23rd, 2009 11 a.m., at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4930 West Belfort, Houston, Texas 77035. Donations may be made to the Texas Children’s Auxillary and Voluntary Services and Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, both of Houston, Texas. On-line condolences may be made at MEM.com

There are also three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients and a renowned veteran/Congressman buried in the cemetery:

From the Houston National Cemetery website:

First Lieutenant Raymond L. Knight, (World War II), U.S. Army Air Corps. Northern Po Valley, Italy, on April 25, 1945. His remains were relocated to Houston National Cemetery on April 25, 1992.

Staff Sergeant Macario Garcia, (World War II), U.S. Army, Company B, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. Grosshau, Germany, Nov. 27, 1944.

Captain James H. Fields, (World War II), U.S. Army, 10th Armored Infantry, 4th Armored Division. Near Rechicourt, France, Sept. 27, 1944.

Albert Thomas Headstone

From the Houston National Cemetery website:

The most renowned veteran buried in the cemetery is the late Honorable Albert Thomas, United States Congressman from Texas. Congressman Thomas served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War I, and served almost 30 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was instrumental in getting this cemetery established by Congress. “Congressman Albert,” as his many friends knew him, died in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 15, 1966, and was buried in the mall area of the Houston National Cemetery, on Feb. 18, 1966.