ADVA Seeks Land Donation to Establish Second State Veterans Cemetery

The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) is asking for public assistance in identifying property for a state veterans cemetery in north Alabama.

ADVA Commissioner Jeff Newton has met with numerous state legislators and city and county officials in Madison, Morgan, and Limestone counties the past several months to convey the importance a second state veterans cemetery would provide Alabama’s 400,000 veterans. Plans to create a second state veterans cemetery in north Alabama will gain many of the 42,709 unserved veterans in Alabama, as noted in the FY2021 National Cemetery Administration budget formulation.

“As we continue our mission to honor and serve Alabama’s veterans and their families, establishing a second state veterans cemetery is a top priority. We are actively seeking a land donation to help make this vision a reality,” said Commissioner Newton. “A new cemetery in north Alabama would provide easier access to a dignified final resting place for thousands of veterans and their loved ones statewide and ensure they receive the honor and recognition they have earned through their service.”

To move forward with the project, ADVA is seeking the donation of approximately 110 acres of usable, rolling farmland in north Alabama for the facility. The property would also ideally have low traffic and be absent of any noise pollution.

ADVA current operates the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort — a 120-acre facility along Alabama Highway 225 in Baldwin County. The facility was dedicated in December 2012 and began interments in April 2013. There are a total of 5,000 graves within ground crypts, traditional graves, columbarium niches, and a scatter garden. The lifespan of the entire cemetery is 100 years.