Alabama veterans cemetery federal funding reaches $18.9 million

Federal funding for the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery – North Alabama has increased to approximately $18.9 million following a new $5.4 million award. This additional grant, provided through the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, builds upon a $13.5 million grant awarded earlier this year.

The project is slated to break ground next month on 150 acres near Maysville, east of Huntsville. The cemetery is expected to eventually provide roughly 150,000 burial sites over a projected 200-year lifespan. The total funding includes $18,094,445 for cemetery development and $875,706 for a section of pre-placed burial vaults.

Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Jeff Newton noted that this could potentially be the largest grant ever awarded for a state veterans cemetery. U.S. Representative Dale Strong and Governor Kay Ivey have been key supporters of the initiative, which aims to provide veterans and their families with a dignified resting place closer to the Tennessee Valley.