Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Receives Funding...

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Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery Receives Federal Funding Award

Sacramento – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) with $6.8 million to begin construction of the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery which will be located on the former Fort Ord Army base in Seaside, California.

“The Central Coast Veterans Cemetery is ideally located, celebrating and memorializing the Monterey Bay area’s rich military history,” said Keith Boylan, CalVet Deputy Secretary Veterans Affairs. “The Central Coast State Veterans Cemetery will be a lasting tribute to our men and women from every branch of military service that served and sacrificed to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy.”

The vision to build the CVCC began more than a decade ago following the closure of Fort Ord to most military activity and training; however the project incurred a variety of road blocks along the way. Over the past year, an incredible amount of focus and effort was directed at seeing the project through to fruition. The collective efforts and collaboration of various state agencies, federal partners, community advocates, along with the support of the Legislature and the Administration has made this dream a reality.

With construction expected to begin late 2014/early 2015, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Phase I plan will develop 17 acres of the site and include the construction of the main entrance, roads, an assembly area, a committal shelter, columbaria, 5,000 columbarium niches, landscaping, a memorial walkway, and supporting infrastructure. The cemetery is expected to serve more than100, 000 Veterans and their families living within Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo counties. CalVet currently operates two State Veterans cemetery, including the Yountville Veterans Cemetery in Napa County and the Northern California Veterans Cemetery located in Igo in Shasta County.

For more information about the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, go to http://ccvcf.com/history.htm. For information about Veterans cemetery and burial benefits, go to https://www.calvet.ca.gov/VetServices/P ... rials.aspx. .

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