By Jillian Butler
Every Memorial Day weekend, the Point Loma and Ocean Beach Peninsula community pauses to remember the men and women who never returned home from war. Against the backdrop of sweeping ocean views and rows of white headstones overlooking the Pacific Ocean, residents, veterans, and military families gathered at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Point Loma can trace its military history back to the late 18th century when the Spanish sought to build a fortress opposite Coronado Island. In 1852, the southernmost point of Point Loma was given to the United States Army and named “Fort Rosecrans”, after Major General William Rosecrans, a Civil War Era union soldier, and later California Congressman. In 1932, Fort Rosecrans was registered as a California Historical Landmark.
During the two World Wars, Point Loma became a key strategic point. The United States military erected numerous bunkers, fire-control stations, and radio stations. The area was equipped with long-range coastal artillery batteries, an underground railroad to carry ammunition to the batteries — rendering the region a crucial coastal support zone. Additionally, the area served as a bastion for anti-submarine warfare.
In 1959, Fort Rosecrans was transferred from the Army to the Navy, and portions of the area became part of the United States Navy Submarine Support Facility. Today, Naval Base Point Loma remains a visible part of the Peninsula community and a reminder of the region’s continuing military presence.
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery is located on the federally reserved Fort Rosecrans, near the Cabrillo National Monument. Sprawling along Sunset Cliffs, it is the final resting place of over 120,000 American servicemembers. Graves at Fort Rosecrans go back to 1846, when 19 soldiers were killed in the Mexican-American War’s Battle of San Pasqual. The most recent burial at Fort Rosecrans was in 2014. With the cemetery officially being closed to newly casket graves, most San Diego burials are now held in Miramar National Cemetery.
Every Memorial Day, volunteer groups organize commemorative activities honoring those buried at Fort Rosecrans and those who lost their lives in military service. Starting at 10 Am, the event carried on until the Cemetery closed at 5:30.
Veterans, military families, and other community members alike gathered for the ceremony that included a reading of the Gettysburg Address and a 21 Gun Salute. Additionally, flags were placed at each grave.
Throughout the day, visitors walked quietly between rows of graves while others stopped to read names and dates etched into headstones spanning multiple generations of military service. Family members came to place flowers on the graves of their late relatives.
Elsewhere, a local motorcycle crew began its Memorial Day ride at Jensen’s Grocery Store before making its way through the region and ending at Fort Rosecrans, where participants gathered and paid their respects.
For many Peninsula residents, Fort Rosecrans serves as more than a historical landmark. Each Memorial Day, it becomes a place where local history, military service, and community heritage intersect.
