While planning was underway for Memorial Day ceremonies at the National Cemetery in the Presidio, a lesser-known plot of ground also used for military interments was in the spotlight. The Presidio Pet Cemetery, a half-acre piece of folk history within the park boundaries, will once again receive regular upkeep thanks to military veterans now residing in the Presidio.

In March 2010, the Presidio Trust finalized a partnership with the Swords to Plowshares Veterans Academy to maintain and eventually refurbish the pet cemetery. Residents of the academy will help Presidio staff with the grounds by pulling weeds, trimming shrubs, picking up trash, and eventually restoring the fencing and individual grave markers, according to Clay Harrell of the Presidio Trust.

Little is documented about the actual history of the graveyard. With graves dating back to the early 1950s, the pet cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of beloved companions of the military members based at the Presidio. Christina Wallace, the Presidio Trust’s preservation specialist, surveyed the site in 2007 and documented more than 420 grave markers within the 450-square-foot cemetery. As in most pet cemeteries, the majority of animals buried are dogs and cats, but there are a wide variety of other pets including birds, rabbits, hamsters, rats, mice, snakes, lizards, and even fish.

Many headstones relate the mobile life of a military family, with pets born from all over the world. Most notable is a poem to Samantha, “a true military cat,” who moved from Florida to Michigan to Germany to St. Louis, and finally “Out to California / No one could have warned her / Here is where she will stay / Though her family must move away.”

“The cemetery may have been started with German shepherd dogs that guarded the missile sites,” said Presidio Trust historian Dr. Randolph Delehanty. Though the graveyard is located close to the remaining stables, there is no evidence of any horses buried within the grounds.

Dr. Delehanty pointed out the one anomaly in the population – a granite headstone for one Margaret O’Brien, who died in 1889 at age 52. The Presidio has no specific records of her, but Dr. Delehanty believes she was probably one of the immigrant laundresses who were allowed to live on base. One hopes that Ms. O’Brien had a fondness for pets.

The cemetery was officially closed to new interments in 1963 and had fallen into disrepair by the 1970s. It is believed that the post veterinarian organized some local Boy Scouts at one point to recreate many of the deteriorating markers in whitewashed wood. A few years ago, some Swords to Plowshares residents took it upon themselves to do some gardening and maintenance in the cemetery, so the formal partnership with the Trust is an extension of the residents’ own interests.
Since 2000, Swords to Plowshares Veteran Academy has provided permanent, supportive housing to 102 previously homeless veterans in former Letterman nurses’ quarters located off Girard Road. Colleen Corliss, communications manager for Swords to Plowshares, said, “We promote community involvement for our residents, and hope that this will be one of many projects we can collaborate on with the Presidio Trust.”

The fate of the small plot of land located almost directly under the Doyle Drive overpass was uncertain when plans for the new Presidio Parkway replacement project were first introduced. “Even though the cemetery is not listed as a part of the National Historic Landmarks District in the Presidio, the Trust is committed to protecting the uniquely historic site,” said Clay Harrell.
CalTrans is also making every effort to protect the plot during the massive construction project. Today, the trees that once shaded the many gravestones are gone from the demolition phase of the work, but the boundaries of the cemetery are protected by orange construction fencing. Any improvements to the Presidio Pet Cemetery will necessarily be delayed until after construction is complete.

The cemetery is located on Crissy Field Avenue, a short distance west of the National Cemetery. Because of CalTrans construction, there is currently a detour on the road from Lincoln Boulevard to McDowell, but you can still drive past the cemetery by using the detour. If you are in the Presidio this Memorial Day, you might also want to stop by and honor the memories of the loyal pets that helped make the lives of the many Army personnel they loved a little bit brighter.