CORFU, N.Y. (WBEN) - Veterans in Western New York now have an eternal home within the region.
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday officially dedicated the Western New York National Cemetery, a 269-acre cemetery on Indian Falls Road in Corfu. The cemetery provides a nearby VA burial option for more than 77,000 veterans and eligible family members.
Interments will begin no later than December 18, according to Undersecretary for Memorial Affairs, Randy Reeves.
"On this hallowed ground, the stories and the deeds of our veterans from the Western New York area will be told," Reeves said. "Their names will be spoken and they will never be forgotten."
Plans for the cemetery were ongoing for the last decade. In 2014, the VA purchased 132 acres for $625,000 and purchased more land in later years to accommodate the veterans.
There are currently five VA national cemeteries in New York. Prior to the Corfu cemetery, the closest cemetery was in Bath. There are also cemeteries in Elmira, Schuylerville, Calverton, and Long Island.
"Veterans in Western New York and the Rochester area have a proud long history of serving their nation in uniform," Senator Chuck Schumer said. "We have one of the highest records of enlistment in all of the United States. We have one of the highest records of service in all of the United States. But unfortunately, until now, many of these veterans and their families didn't have easy access to a national veterans cemetery."