SE Ga / NE Fl Veterans Cemetery

[TracGunny]

Last modified Fri., November 14, 2003 - 01:23 AM
Originally created Friday, November 14, 2003

President approves cemetery creation

Nearest current available burial site is about three hours away from Jacksonville.

From Times-Union staff

President Bush signed a bill Tuesday creating a veterans cemetery in the Jacksonville, FL area.

The bill directs the secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish six new national cemeteries within four years, including two in Florida.

The VA can now begin to solicit the advice of state and local veterans organizations and other individuals in determining specific sites for the new cemeteries.

Jacksonville has tentatively proposed a site north of Jacksonville International Airport off I-95.

"More than 100,000 veterans live and work in the counties I represent," said U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. "There are currently no viable options for burial in a veterans cemetery for these honorable citizens."

U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., agreed.

"Florida has the nation's second largest veterans population and the oldest population," Stearns said. "Yet the closest open VA cemetery is a three-hour drive. With some 325,000 veterans calling northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia home, this cemetery is essential."

The VA is required to submit a report to Congress within 120 days setting forth the areas where the cemeteries will be established, a schedule for establishment and the estimated costs.

Florida has almost 2 million veterans and only four veterans cemeteries. One cemetery is full, another only accepts cremated remains, and the final two are at least a three-hour drive from Jacksonville.

The second new cemetery in Florida will be in the Orlando area.

[TracGunny]

Requirements for national cemetery burials
Some facts about burials in national cemeteries:

Burial in a national cemetery is open to service members and veterans who have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. It is open to reservists who die while on active duty, performing training duty or have 20 years in the reserves. It is also open to spouses, an un-remarried widow, or widower; minor children and some unmarried adult children.

Gravesites in national cemeteries cannot be reserved in advance.

The VA will provide a gravesite, headstone or marker, Presidential Memorial Certificate, American flag, perpetual care of the gravesite and will open and close the grave at no cost to the veteran's family. Other services such as funeral directors must be paid for by the family.

To establish eligibility for burial, you need the veteran's name, rank, branch of service, date of entry and discharge, serial number, Social Security number, date and place of birth, and date of death.

A copy of the veteran's discharge document with the character of discharge is also required. A copy may be obtained from the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Record's Office, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100.

For more information, contact the nearest VA regional office at 1-800-827-1000.

Source: Department of Veterans Affairs

[CAS3]

There are many restrictions to eligibility.Veteran Cemetery Benefits (http://www.cem.va.gov/eligible.htm)


Also, other benefits including headstones and markers...


Headstone and Markers (http://www.cem.va.gov/hmlaw.htm)

[TracGunny]

CAS3:

Thanks for the heads up!