[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 10, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S11344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          VA MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS CEMETERY SYSTEM

 Mr. GRAHAM of Florida. Mr. President, today I rise to 
celebrate 30 years of the VA cemetery system. ``Celebrate'' may seem a 
strange word to use in reference to something so closely tied with 
mourning, but it is appropriate that we do just that. VA's national 
cemetery system is one of its most precious resources, providing our 
veterans the final respect and honor they have earned.
  VA's operation of the National Cemetery Administration dates from 
September 1, 1973, when Congress transferred control of the national 
cemeteries from the Department of Army to what was then the Veterans 
Administration. Those cemeteries joined the ones already operated by 
VA, and the National Cemetery System--now the National Cemetery 
Administration--was created.
  America's history of providing a final resting place to our veterans 
extends back before 1973, when the Civil War left hundreds of thousands 
of soldiers dead. In the spirit of Abraham Lincoln's words that the 
Nation must ``care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his 
widow and his orphan,'' Congress established national cemeteries in 
order to fulfill that commitment.
  Today, the National Cemetery Administration ensures that our veterans 
have a proper burial and maintains the national cemeteries as shrines 
to their memory. Since taking over the national cemetery system, VA has 
seen an increase in annual burials from 36,400 to a record 89,300 in 
2002. More and more veterans are choosing to be laid to rest in 
national cemeteries than ever before. This choice is a testament to the 
devotion that the employees of the VA's National Cemetery 
Administration show in performing their duties.
  In noting the importance of the National Cemetery Administration and 
in honoring its extensive history, I must also point to the need to 
ensure its future. Nearly 655,000 veteran are expected to die this 
year, and even more will die in each of the next 5 years. By the end of 
2004, only 64 of the 124 veterans national cemeteries will be available 
for both casketed and cremated remains. As cemetery capacity decreases, 
veterans in areas near those closing cemeteries lose access to burial 
options. In order to ensure that proper funeral honors are provided for 
veterans and their family members, we must develop new cemeteries and 
expand existing cemeteries. In such cities as Birmingham, AL; 
Bakersfield, CA; Columbia/Greenville, SC; Philadelphia, PA; and, in my 
own State, Sarasota and Jacksonville, FL, more than 175,000 veterans in 
each of these areas are currently without full burial options. We must 
ensure that their sacrifice is honored.
  One of the most difficult things we do is cope with the death of 
someone we love. By guaranteeing a burial that befits the sacrifice of 
our Nation's soldiers, the National Cemetery Administration mitigates 
some of that pain and commemorates the service and lives of our 
veterans.




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