The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs has been awarded a grant in the amount of $6,904,794 from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration for the establishment of South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery in Sioux Falls.
“Partnering with South Dakota to establish a new Veterans cemetery in the eastern half of the state is exactly the kind of project that the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program was made for” said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves. “This new cemetery will give tens of thousands of Veterans and their families the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will have a burial option close to home.”
This grant will fund the construction of 610 pre-placed crypts, 999 cremains gravesites, 660 columbarium niches, 50 memorial wall markers, a main entrance, an avenue of flags, an administration building, a maintenance facility, roads, an assembly area, a committal shelter, scatter burial area, a memorial walkway, landscaping, and supporting infrastructure. The project will develop approximately 12.9 acres. The project will enable the cemetery to serve approximately 43,000 Veterans, their spouses and eligible family members.
The VA Veterans Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP) complements the 136 VA national cemeteries across the country. Since its inception 41 years ago, the VCGP has awarded grants totaling more than $817 million to establish, expand, improve, or operate and maintain 115 state and tribal Veterans cemeteries. These VA-funded cemeteries provided more than 39,000 burials in 2018.
For more information about the South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery, contact Aaron Pollard, Deputy Secretary, South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs at 605-360-4173.
