Contact Matt Atwood, Press Secretary - Texas General Land Office
matthew.atwood@glo.texas.gov
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) a grant of $3,092,700 to expand the cemetery and make improvements to the 31-acre burial grounds. VLB Chairman George P. Bush issued this statement following the grant announcement:
“The VLB is honored to oversee the hallowed grounds where thousands of Texan heroes have been laid to rest,” said Chairman Bush . “I thank the VA for making this grant possible and for their continued support of the Abilene community and our state’s Veterans. Providing earned burial benefits at our Texas State Veterans Cemeteries conveys the gratitude of a grateful nation and honors the men and women who have sacrificed both on and off the battlefield.”
Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene currently serves more than 25,000 Veterans and their eligible family members living within 75 miles of the cemetery. The grant will fund 1,000 pre-placed crypts, roadway improvements, signage, entry gates, irrigation, landscaping and supporting infrastructure on approximately three acres of land. The grant is issued through the VA’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program .
The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB), a division of the Texas General Land Office, operates four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries, conveniently located across the state. These Texas State Veterans Cemeteries are hallowed grounds that are an expression of our respect for the Texas men and women who have served our nation with honor. The VLB provides free burial of Veterans with military honors at Texas State Veterans Cemeteries in Abilene, Corpus Christi, Killeen and Mission.
For additional information on Texas State Veterans Cemeteries, Homes, land and home improvement loans, call 1-800-252-VETS (1-800-252-8387), or visit the VLB website at VLB.com . Follow the Texas Veterans Land Board on Facebook , Twitter, and YouTube. Read the VLB Blog at Texas-Veterans-Blog.com.
For more information about the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene, contact Jimmy Defoor, Cemetery Director, Texas Veterans Land Board at (325) 673-4446 or email jimmy.defoor@glo.texas.gov .