Fort Meade National Cemetery sits at the eastern edge of the fort complex and has received the remains of American soldiers from every conflict since the post's founding in 1878. The rows of white markers step down a gentle hillside shaded by mature trees — it is well-maintained, quiet, and moving in the way that military cemeteries always are.
The oldest section holds cavalry troopers from the frontier Indian Wars era; later sections add veterans of the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and subsequent conflicts. The "Arlington of the West" nickname reflects both its age and the care with which it is kept. The adjacent Old Fort Meade Cemetery, a few hundred metres away, holds additional early graves from the fort's frontier period.