$1 billion.
That’s how much the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration has awarded for the establishment, expansion, improvement and maintenance of state, territorial and Tribal veterans' cemeteries.
“Truly, I believe there is no better partnership between the federal government and state, territorial and tribal government,” said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matt Quinn during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday.
The grants are awarded through the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program. The milestone was reached earlier this month with a grant of $1,860,775 to the state of North Dakota for the expansion of the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan.
“Historically the first grant provided by this program went to the state of Maryland for its Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery which had been operating since 1976, two years before the VA grants program was established,” said Quinn.
Since beginning in 1978, the program has provided 475 grants to 122 state, territorial, and Tribal veterans cemeteries — leading to more than 800,000 total interments for veterans, he said.
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Quinn stressed that veterans interred in state, territorial, or Tribal veterans cemeteries receive the same burial and memorial benefits provided to veterans in VA national cemeteries, at no cost. That includes a gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.
“Americans expect all veterans cemeteries to show the highest standards of care and maintenance that befits the respect and honor this nation has for its veterans,” said Quinn.
NCA is also continuing to work on its goal of providing 95 percent of veterans living in the United States with a veterans burial option within 75 miles of where they live.
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“We’re currently near 94 percent,” said Quinn, who said that number would drop to 77% with the participation of state, territorial and tribal cemeteries in the grant program.
In the fiscal year 2022, these cemeteries and VA national cemeteries conducted nearly 200,000 interments combined.
Learn more about VA’s burial benefits and memorial services or watch this video.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.