Nicholson: Resting place for Rhode Island veterans for years to come
WASHINGTON – Continuing its mission of providing a final resting place for veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the award of a $5,732,027 grant for the expansion of Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter.
“VA’s state cemetery grants fund the expansion or construction of state veterans cemeteries that complement VA national cemeteries,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “This grant will ensure a final resting place for Rhode Island veterans for years to come.”
The grant will pay for the development of an additional burial section, including 2,300 full-casket burial sites, 600 in-ground cremation sites and 624 columbarium niches for cremation remains.
Additionally, the grant provides for constructing a new administration building, entrance, public information building, roads, landscaping, utilities, irrigation and other infrastructure improvements.
The Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery is the only state veterans cemetery in Rhode Island and serves approximately 40,000 veterans and their dependents living within the cemetery’s service area. The nearest VA national cemetery is Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, about 78 miles away.
VA’s State Cemetery Grants Program complements VA’s 125 national cemeteries across the country. The program helps states establish, expand or improve state veterans cemeteries.
To date, the program has helped establish 67 veterans cemeteries in 36 states, Saipan and Guam, which provided more than 22,000 burials in 2006. Since the program began in 1980, VA has awarded 161 grants totaling more than $308 million.
Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at http://www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at
1-800-827-1000.
Information about Rhode Island’s cemetery and other veterans services can be obtained from the Rhode Island Division of Veterans Affairs at ** http://www.dhs.state.ri.us/dhs/dvetaff.htm.**
** Indicates a link to a non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website.
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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
Veterans can also use our chatbot to get information about VA benefits and services. The chatbot won’t connect you with a person, but it can show you where to go on VA.gov to find answers to some common questions.
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