Fort Bliss National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery in west Texas, located at Fort Bliss, a U.S. Army post adjacent to the city of El Paso. Administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses, and as of 2014, had over 50,000 interments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.HistoryFort Bliss itself was not established until the 1840s, but burials were made in the area of the cemetery as early as 1833. The fort was used as a Confederate infantry post during the Civil War, a cavalry post for training during World War I, and then became a demobilization camp after the war. Before Ft. Bliss was moved, soldiers were buried at what is now Cleveland Square and the downtown El Paso Public Library. Union soldiers buried there were removed and reburied at Fort Snelling in 1883. In 1893, this former Ft. Bliss cemetery was granted to the City of El Paso.In 1894, the area the cemetery is currently located at was designated as the Fort Bliss Post Cemetery. In 1914, the cemetery was only, and another 2.2 acres were added during the war. In 1939, funds were allocated for improvements and plans were approved to designate it a national cemetery.
