National Cemetery Administration
VA Names New National Cemetery In Maine
October 2, 2019
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the name Acadia National Cemetery for the new national cemetery in Jonesboro, Maine.
"We are pleased to expand burial service to Veterans and their families in Maine," said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "This cemetery will help us reach Veterans in the rural parts of the state who have not previously had reasonable access to a national or state cemetery."
VA relies on local Veterans and community leaders to submit name suggestions. Of the names submitted, "Acadia National Cemetery" best met VA's naming criteria and is consistent with the requirements specified in Title 38 United States Code § 531, requiring VA property, including national cemeteries, to be named for the geographic area in which the facility is located.
There are three state Veteran cemeteries open for burials within Maine. Central Maine Veterans' Cemetery in Augusta is the closest of these, located 149 Miles from Jonesboro. Togus National Cemetery in Chelsea, Maine, is the only other VA national cemetery in the state and is currently closed to new interments.
Worcester Holdings, LLC, donated 6.22 acres of land in 2017 to establish a national cemetery near Machias, Maine. The cemetery will have a capacity of 7,086 gravesites when fully constructed. There are currently 23,599 Veterans within a 75-mile radius of Machias.
For more information about this cemetery, reference the Acadia National Cemetery Fact Sheet, or call the Office of Public Affairs & Outreach at 202-632-8035.
