National Cemetery Administration
Texas Receives Grant to Expand Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene
September 28, 2021
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration announced today that the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP), which it oversees, has awarded a grant of up to $3,092,700 to the state of Texas for the expansion of Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene.
"Texas has a robust system of Veterans cemeteries that greatly enhance access to burial benefits for the many Veterans living in the state," said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matthew Quinn. "The four state Veterans cemeteries complement the six VA national cemeteries in the state, giving more options and more access to Veterans across Texas."
Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene currently serves more than 25,000 Veterans and their eligible family members living within 75 miles of the cemetery. The grant will fund 1,000 pre-placed crypts, roadway improvements, signage, entry gates, irrigation, landscaping and supporting infrastructure on approximately 3 acres of land.
VCGP complements the VA national cemetery system by funding state, territorial and tribal Veterans cemeteries, increasing access to burial benefits for Veterans and their eligible family members. Since its inception in 1978, the program has provided more than $910 million to establish, expand, improve, operate and maintain 119 cemeteries in which Veterans are currently interred. In fiscal year 2020, these cemeteries conducted more than 37,000 burials.
For more information about the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene, contact Jimmy Defoor, Cemetery Director, Texas Veterans Land Board at (325) 673-4446 or email jimmy.defoor@glo.texas.gov.
