Fort Stanton, New Mexico

Wilbert Cemetery Construction arrived at Fort Stanton, New Mexico. This will be the site of a new $5.7 million veteran’s cemetery that will provide 650 grave sites, and includes roads, an administration building, a maintenance facility, a facility to house urns of ashes, landscaping and other supporting infrastructure. 

Fort Stanton is located in Lincoln County southeast of Albuquerque, west of Roswell and north of El Paso, Texas. It was built in 1855 as a base for military campaigns against the Mescalero Apaches and served as a military fortification until 1896. It was later used as a tuberculosis hospital for Merchant Marines, a POW camp, a school for the mentally disabled, a women’s prison, and juvenile center. In 2007 it was acquired by a nonprofit and is operated as a museum and historic visitors center. It has been a state monument since 2007.

Fort Stanton is one of four new cemeteries planned in the state that will serve the more than 170,700 veteran who live farther than 75 miles from existing cemeteries. Veterans who live within 75 miles from El Paso are eligible to be interred at Fort Stanton.