The US Department of Veterans Affairs' Cemetery Administration announced a round of grants for multiple Veterans' cemeteries across the country.
The VA's National Cemetery Administration allocated $51.3 million for the development, maintenance, and expansion of state Veterans cemeteries in Arizona, Arkansas, Nebraska, New York, Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia. These grants will help ensure that veterans in these states have access to timely and easily accessible burial and memorial services.
Since its inception in 1978, the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program has provided more than 480 grants to 122 state, territorial, and tribal veterans cemeteries, resulting in the burial of over 800,000. Nearly 200,000 people were laid to rest in these cemeteries and VA national cemeteries in fiscal year 2022.
In the same way that Veterans buried in VA national cemetery are entitled to free burial and memorial services, so too are those buried in state, territorial, or tribal veterans cemeteries. In addition to a gravesite and perpetual upkeep, the government will also provide a government-issued headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.
The following cemeteries are eligible for funding:
The estimated price tag for the Grand Island, Nebraska Veterans Cemetery is $8,391,524. There are enough eligible Veterans and their families for the cemetery to serve over 13,000.
The West Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Lubbock received $15,902,647 in funding for its development. There are expected to be about 21,000 Veterans and eligible family members using the cemetery.
Costing a total of $6,484,476 a year is the expansion and maintenance of the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi. The cemetery serves over 42,000 Veterans and their eligible family members.
Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery expansion and improvement project estimates put the price tag at $1,869,062. The cemetery serves over 108,000 Veterans and their eligible family members.
Rayville's Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery is getting a whopping $1,810,957 in funding for upkeep and growth. The cemetery serves over 33,000 Veterans and their eligible family members.
Slidell's Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery expansion and improvement project will set you back $3,808,915. The cemetery serves over 162,000 Veterans and their eligible family members.
The estimated sum of $3,951,421 is needed to complete the expansion and improvement of the Finger Lakes State Veterans Cemetery in Romulus, New York. The cemetery serves about 13,000 Veterans and eligible family members.
