Thursday, November 12, 2015

In Honor of Veterans Day-- Part 2: Growth of the National Cemetery System

Through the years with succeeding wars, more national cemeteries were needed and were created.

In 1994, the VA conducted a future burial needs assessment that ranked the most according to veteran population.  Based on that report, seven national cemeteries were built between 1992 and 2001.  One of those was the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, created in October 1999, making it the 117th national cemetery within the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.

In total, 17 new millennium cemeteries were constructed between 1997 and 2010, making it the fifth-most significant period of growth for America's national cemeteries and was the largest expansion period for the system in total acreage since the Civil War.

Since 1862, more than 3.8 million burials have taken place in national cemeteries.  The existing 131 national cemeteries.  The existing 131 national cemeteries. 33 soldiers and government lots, and Confederate lots (yes, Confederates are buried in the national cemeteries) including Arlington National Cemetery, contain more than 20,000 acres.  The Confederates are considered to be American soldiers just as those who fought for the Union.

--Old B-Runner

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