About Dayton National Cemetery
Reviews for Dayton National Cemetery
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Monday: 7AM - 8PM
Tuesday: 7AM - 8PM
Wednesday: 7AM - 8PM
Thursday: 7AM - 8PM
Friday: 7AM - 8PM
Saturday: 7AM - 8PM
Sunday: 7AM - 8PM
Dayton National Cemetery is a well-respected burial ground that provides a dignified resting place for veterans and their families. The cemetery is known for its well-maintained grounds, which evoke a sense of hallowed ground. Families have expressed their gratitude for the kindness and respect shown by the staff during burial services. The leadership at Dayton National Cemetery plays a crucial role in maintaining high standards of care and service. The cemetery is overseen by a dedicated director who has extensive experience in managing national cemeteries and a commendable military background. This leadership has resulted in a remarkable family and funeral home satisfaction rating of 98.5%. The staff works diligently with families, funeral homes, and military honor squads to ensure that each service is carried out with professionalism and respect. Visitors have noted the impressive display of respect by the groundskeepers, who stop their work and remove their hats as funeral processions pass. The ceremonies conducted at the cemetery, including military honors and presentations by the Honor Squad, have received praise for their professionalism and attention to detail. The efforts of the Air Force personnel and the rifle squad during these ceremonies are particularly highlighted as outstanding. Overall, Dayton National Cemetery stands out not only for its beautiful and serene environment but also for the compassionate care provided to those who have served in the military and their families. It serves as a place of honor and remembrance, ensuring that the sacrifices of veterans are acknowledged and respected.
Dayton VA Honor Squad 18h · SPOTLIGHTING OUR CEMETERY DIRECTOR DOUGLAS LEDBETTER – Everything rises and falls upon leadership. The 98.5% family and funeral home satisfaction rating of the Dayton National Cemetery is no accident. The cemetery staff diligently serves the families through coordination with funeral homes, the military, the Honor Squad, the interaction with the office, the committal service, the interment, and the perpetual care of the grave or niche. All this is orchestrated by the professional leadership of the Director. Doug Ledbetter is an U.S. Air Force veteran and served alongside the Royal Air Force in England as well as serving in Italy as a part of Operation Provide Comfort, the military operation that provided humanitarian aid to Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq in 1991. He later served the Air Force in South Carolina. Beginning his work with the National Cemetery Administration at Dayton National Cemetery as Cemetery Caretaker and Heavy Equipment Operator, he served there for eleven years. From there, he was selected to attend the NCA’s year-long Cemetery Director Development Program in St. Louis. Eventually, he returned and has been the current Director of the Dayton National Cemetery, the largest National Cemetery within 400 miles. That role also includes directorship of the Marion National Cemetery in Indiana, the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery in Columbus, the Crown Hill National Cemetery, the Crown Hill National Cemetery Columbarium Annex and the Crown Hill Confederate Plot. Since the earliest months of the Dayton National Cemetery Honor Squad he has been a very significant supporter and has provided the daily supervision of the Squad and serving as the greatest benefactor of the Honor Squad. With the construction of the new administration building, Doug strongly advocated for the addition of a new Honor Squad building which is currently under construction. Previous to returning to Dayton, he served veterans’ families as the Director of Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries in California, as Director of Rock Island National Cemetery in Illinois on the Mississippi River as well as Director of the Quincy National Cemetery, Rock Island Confederate Cemetery in Illinois, the Keokuk National Cemetery and Oakdale Soldiers' Lot in Iowa. He was offered a role at Arlington National Cemetery, but declined. In total, Doug has supervised the care of over 252,000 veterans’ and spouses’ graves, including 36 Medal of Honor recipients. Doug has hosted directors of the Veterans Administration and a number of members of Congress to the cemeteries and has experienced many unique happenings. On July 9, 2015 while the Director of Ft. Rosecrans & Miramar National Cemeteries, he had the honor of overseeing the burial of Medal of Honor recipient Charles Schroeter. Schroeter received his medal for actions during the Battle of Rocky Mesa on Oct. 20, 1869 and his cremains had been lost for 94 years. Doug had the honor of receiving the folded flag in lieu of his family. The VA provides initial and replacement headstones for veterans either in National Cemeteries or in public cemeteries. Doug was once honored to set the permanent marker on the gravesite of a Civil War soldier who was discovered on private land in Missouri. Nothing is more moving than providing honors to a service member killed-in-action which Doug has overseen a number of times. About lasting memories he said, “An impactful memory happened when I was the Equipment Operator at Dayton many years ago. We were interring a 4-year-old little girl dependent. At the time, my oldest daughter was around the same age so this particular interment carried more emotion for me than normal. Once the committal service ended, I received a call on the radio that the mother wanted to witness the interment of her daughter. As with all interments, I took great care in completing the burial process, however, this one with a heavier heart. Once the interment was complete, I shut off the backhoe, got out to place the flowers and temporary marker. I told the
Dayton VA Honor Squad 18h · SPOTLIGHTING OUR CEMETERY DIRECTOR DOUGLAS LEDBETTER – Everything rises and falls upon leadership. The 98.5% family and funeral home satisfaction rating of the Dayton National Cemetery is no accident. The cemetery staff diligently serves the families through coordination with funeral homes, the military, the Honor Squad, the interaction with the office, the committal service, the interment, and the perpetual care of the grave or niche. All this is orchestrated by the professional leadership of the Director. Doug Ledbetter is an U.S. Air Force veteran and served alongside the Royal Air Force in England as well as serving in Italy as a part of Operation Provide Comfort, the military operation that provided humanitarian aid to Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq in 1991. He later served the Air Force in South Carolina. Beginning his work with the National Cemetery Administration at Dayton National Cemetery as Cemetery Caretaker and Heavy Equipment Operator, he served there for eleven years. From there, he was selected to attend the NCA’s year-long Cemetery Director Development Program in St. Louis. Eventually, he returned and has been the current Director of the Dayton National Cemetery, the largest National Cemetery within 400 miles. That role also includes directorship of the Marion National Cemetery in Indiana, the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery in Columbus, the Crown Hill National Cemetery, the Crown Hill National Cemetery Columbarium Annex and the Crown Hill Confederate Plot. Since the earliest months of the Dayton National Cemetery Honor Squad he has been a very significant supporter and has provided the daily supervision of the Squad and serving as the greatest benefactor of the Honor Squad. With the construction of the new administration building, Doug strongly advocated for the addition of a new Honor Squad building which is currently under construction. Previous to returning to Dayton, he served veterans’ families as the Director of Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries in California, as Director of Rock Island National Cemetery in Illinois on the Mississippi River as well as Director of the Quincy National Cemetery, Rock Island Confederate Cemetery in Illinois, the Keokuk National Cemetery and Oakdale Soldiers' Lot in Iowa. He was offered a role at Arlington National Cemetery, but declined. In total, Doug has supervised the care of over 252,000 veterans’ and spouses’ graves, including 36 Medal of Honor recipients. Doug has hosted directors of the Veterans Administration and a number of members of Congress to the cemeteries and has experienced many unique happenings. On July 9, 2015 while the Director of Ft. Rosecrans & Miramar National Cemeteries, he had the honor of overseeing the burial of Medal of Honor recipient Charles Schroeter. Schroeter received his medal for actions during the Battle of Rocky Mesa on Oct. 20, 1869 and his cremains had been lost for 94 years. Doug had the honor of receiving the folded flag in lieu of his family. The VA provides initial and replacement headstones for veterans either in National Cemeteries or in public cemeteries. Doug was once honored to set the permanent marker on the gravesite of a Civil War soldier who was discovered on private land in Missouri. Nothing is more moving than providing honors to a service member killed-in-action which Doug has overseen a number of times. About lasting memories he said, “An impactful memory happened when I was the Equipment Operator at Dayton many years ago. We were interring a 4-year-old little girl dependent. At the time, my oldest daughter was around the same age so this particular interment carried more emotion for me than normal. Once the committal service ended, I received a call on the radio that the mother wanted to witness the interment of her daughter. As with all interments, I took great care in completing the burial process, however, this one with a heavier heart. Once the interment was complete, I shut off the backhoe, got out to place the flowers and temporary marker. I told the
Dayton VA Honor Squad 18h · SPOTLIGHTING OUR CEMETERY DIRECTOR DOUGLAS LEDBETTER – Everything rises and falls upon leadership. The 98.5% family and funeral home satisfaction rating of the Dayton National Cemetery is no accident. The cemetery staff diligently serves the families through coordination with funeral homes, the military, the Honor Squad, the interaction with the office, the committal service, the interment, and the perpetual care of the grave or niche. All this is orchestrated by the professional leadership of the Director. Doug Ledbetter is an U.S. Air Force veteran and served alongside the Royal Air Force in England as well as serving in Italy as a part of Operation Provide Comfort, the military operation that provided humanitarian aid to Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraq in 1991. He later served the Air Force in South Carolina. Beginning his work with the National Cemetery Administration at Dayton National Cemetery as Cemetery Caretaker and Heavy Equipment Operator, he served there for eleven years. From there, he was selected to attend the NCA’s year-long Cemetery Director Development Program in St. Louis. Eventually, he returned and has been the current Director of the Dayton National Cemetery, the largest National Cemetery within 400 miles. That role also includes directorship of the Marion National Cemetery in Indiana, the Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery in Columbus, the Crown Hill National Cemetery, the Crown Hill National Cemetery Columbarium Annex and the Crown Hill Confederate Plot. Since the earliest months of the Dayton National Cemetery Honor Squad he has been a very significant supporter and has provided the daily supervision of the Squad and serving as the greatest benefactor of the Honor Squad. With the construction of the new administration building, Doug strongly advocated for the addition of a new Honor Squad building which is currently under construction. Previous to returning to Dayton, he served veterans’ families as the Director of Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries in California, as Director of Rock Island National Cemetery in Illinois on the Mississippi River as well as Director of the Quincy National Cemetery, Rock Island Confederate Cemetery in Illinois, the Keokuk National Cemetery and Oakdale Soldiers' Lot in Iowa. He was offered a role at Arlington National Cemetery, but declined. In total, Doug has supervised the care of over 252,000 veterans’ and spouses’ graves, including 36 Medal of Honor recipients. Doug has hosted directors of the Veterans Administration and a number of members of Congress to the cemeteries and has experienced many unique happenings. On July 9, 2015 while the Director of Ft. Rosecrans & Miramar National Cemeteries, he had the honor of overseeing the burial of Medal of Honor recipient Charles Schroeter. Schroeter received his medal for actions during the Battle of Rocky Mesa on Oct. 20, 1869 and his cremains had been lost for 94 years. Doug had the honor of receiving the folded flag in lieu of his family. The VA provides initial and replacement headstones for veterans either in National Cemeteries or in public cemeteries. Doug was once honored to set the permanent marker on the gravesite of a Civil War soldier who was discovered on private land in Missouri. Nothing is more moving than providing honors to a service member killed-in-action which Doug has overseen a number of times. About lasting memories he said, “An impactful memory happened when I was the Equipment Operator at Dayton many years ago. We were interring a 4-year-old little girl dependent. At the time, my oldest daughter was around the same age so this particular interment carried more emotion for me than normal. Once the committal service ended, I received a call on the radio that the mother wanted to witness the interment of her daughter. As with all interments, I took great care in completing the burial process, however, this one with a heavier heart. Once the interment was complete, I shut off the backhoe, got out to place the flowers and temporary marker. I told the