clarkcem

Brief History of the Clark Cemetery

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The Clark Cemetery was formed between 1947 and 1950 by moving the headstones/markers and remains from at least four other U.S. military cemeteries (Fort Stotsenburg 1 & 2, Fort McKinley, and Sangley Point naval cemetery) to the new 20.365 acre, 12,000 plot cemetery located just inside the main gate of Clark Air Base. All WWII dead were moved to the American Cemetery in Manila.

The cemetery contains the remains of U.S. veterans from the USA, USN, USMC, USCG, USAF, Philippine Scouts (PS) and their dependents. Some, but not all, were veterans of the Spanish/American, Philippine Insurrection, WWI, WWII (died after the war), Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq wars. The largest category interred are civilian, mostly U.S. and Filipino and their dependents, all of whom worked for the U.S. Government. In addition, nationals from France, Spain, Canada, Japan, China, Vietnam and India are buried there.

The earliest recorded burial is Santiago Belona, Pvt, PS, DOD: Jan 13, 1900. There are no records, but it is probable that this individual was moved from either Fort Stotsenburg 1 or 2. There are 8,614 individuals buried in the cemetery as of December 31, 2009.

Dual flags have flown over the cemetery since March 1984. A special waiver was given to the provisions of the 1979 revised MBA to allow the U.S. flag to be displayed. This revision was secured from the Philippine government at the request of the Commander, 13th Air Force, Major General Burns. From 1979-1984, only one U.S. flag had been allowed to be flown on Clark Air Base…the one located immediately in front of 13th Air Force headquarters.

There are two types of monuments in the cemetery. The first is a 6 ½ ft marble obelisk carved:

Close up of the
bottom of obelisk

Erected to the memory

unknown dead

United States Soldiers,

sailors and marines,

by the Ladies Memorial

Association of Manila, P.I.

1908.

The second is a 2 ft high rectangular stone with a marble plate engraved:

Clark Cemetery

Clark cemetery site was established

in 1950 and contains non-World

War II related remains from

the base and other U.S. cemeteries

in Manila. It Is the last active

USAF cemetery outside of the U.S..

The graves date back to 1900.

All branches of the United States

armed forces are represented

as well as PHILIPPINE Scouts,

Philippine Constabulary, and citizens

of other nations. The CEMETERY

contains 12,000 grave sites in an area

encompassing 20.365 acres.

Erected by thirteenth Air Force, 4 July 1984

The Clark Cemetery was budgeted for and maintained by the U.S. Air Force from 1947 to 1991. When the Air Force departed the Philippines in November 1991, an MOA was signed with the Philippine Air Force where the latter agreed to provide proper care for the cemetery. In less than two years, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) took over control of the cemetery. No care was provided to the cemetery by the Philippine AF/CDC from November 1991 to June 1994.

VFW Post 2485 took over the job of maintaining the cemetery after deciding the cemetery condition dishonored all veterans buried there. A work force of U.S. volunteers (from various veterans’ organizations) was organized for the initial cleanup. Limited funds derived from donations were utilized.

In November 1994, VFW Post 2485 signed an MOA with CDC giving the VFW permission to maintain the Clark Cemetery and open it for burials of U.S. veterans, including Philippine Scouts. This MOA was renewed in February 2001 and again in March 2006 with an expiration date of March 2031.

The cemetery work force consists of a cemetery chairman from VFW Post 2485, four full time local nationals, and various other volunteers as needed to do the entire cemetery maintenance.

In February 1996, CDC contracted for grass cutting, approximately 10 days per month, and a clean-up crew for trash and leaves on a daily basis. This didn’t work out, so now VFW Post 2485 takes care of the entire cemetery maintenance.

At one time, support from the U.S. Congress to resolve the cemetery funding problems was led by Representative Montgomery in the Committee for Veteran Affairs. This action apparently died from lack of interest.

The Clark Cemetery receives no U.S. or Philippine government funding. VFW Post 2485 can only budget cemetery maintenance through money donations from various individuals, military organizations, veterans groups, and civic/business organizations.

Clark Cemetery (1900 – 2009)

U.S. Veterans ......................................2,250 *

Dependents of U.S. Veterans ...................676

Civilians (mostly U.S. & RP) ..................1,085

Dependents of Civilians ........................2,275

Philippine Constabulary (PC) .......................2

Unclassified............................................187

Unknown .............................................2,139 **

Total 8,614

* Includes at least 642 Philippine Scouts (PS) from pre-WWII era.

** This number includes three unknown Spanish soldiers buried in a common grave and there are at least three other group burial sites. Information and historical records on the cemetery are extremely vague or nonexistent.

Updated: 1 JAN 2010