WASHINGTON — Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi today announced the award of a $1,597,589 grant to New Jersey to expand and improve the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Wrightstown.
“This award, like an increasing number of grants for state veterans’ cemeteries, recognizes the contribution of America’s aging veterans,” said Principi. “I appreciate President Bush’s leadership in supporting state veterans’ cemeteries.”
Wrightstown is approximately 20 miles southeast of Trenton, the state capital. It is near the Ft. Dix and McGuire Air Force Base military installations.
The project will provide the cemetery with a 1,680-niche columbarium and develop a section for approximately 1,500 garden niches for in-ground burial of cremated remains. Opened in 1986, the 234-acre cemetery provides nearly 2,500 burials each year. It is among the 15 busiest veterans cemeteries in the country.
In recent years, the cremation rate has grown to 18 percent. The addition of a columbarium will improve the level of service.
The nearest open national cemetery is Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., approximately 120 miles west.
As a complement to VA’s system of national cemeteries, the State Cemetery Grants Program has helped establish, expand or improve 52 operational state veterans cemeteries. Six cemeteries are under construction. The state veterans cemeteries provided 17,177 burials in fiscal year 2002. Since the program began in 1980, VA has awarded 132 grants for more than $174 million to 30 states, plus Guam.
Information about the grants program is available by contacting VA’s State Cemetery Grants Service at (202) 565-6801.
Eligibility for burial in the New Jersey Veterans Cemetery at Wrightstown is open to state residents. Details may be obtained by calling the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown at (609) 758-7250.
Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from VA web sites on the Internet at http://www.va.gov/or http://www.cem.va.gov/ or by calling VA regional offices toll-free on 1-800-827-1000.
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