CONGRESSMAN BOUCHER ANNOUNCES SUCCESS IN EFFORTS TO CREATE A VETERANS' CEMETERY IN PULASKI COUNTY

(Washington, D.C.) - The U.S. Congress has given final approval to legislation sponsored by U.S. Representative Rick Boucher which takes the first essential step in establishing a much needed cemetery for veterans in Southwest Virginia. President Bush will sign the measure into law this week.

The legislation approved by the U.S. House and Senate authorizes transfer of ownership of federal land in Pulaski County to the State of Virginia for siting of the cemetery. 85 acres of land currently owned by the U.S. Army will be conveyed under the new law for the purpose of creating a final resting place for area veterans and their family members. "I am pleased that the Congress has agreed to my request and taken this vital step towards establishing a cemetery where our local veterans can be appropriately honored for the service they have rendered on behalf of our nation," said Boucher.

Recently, the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) was charged with identifying a location for a third veterans' state cemetery which would provide greater accessability for Southwest Virginia veterans and their families than the two current facilities in Amelia and Suffolk. An approximately 85 acre parcel of land in Pulaski County owned by the Department of the Army has been identified as an ideal location for the cemetery, and funds have been set aside in the Virginia state budget for the purchase of this property and for construction of the facility.

Boucher explained that many Southwest Virginia veterans and their families do not use the existing veterans' cemeteries in the eastern part of Virginia. "The driving distances are simply too great for veterans' families to be able to use these facilities, and given the large number of veterans in our region, having a local veterans' cemetery is highly appropriate," Boucher said.

The legislation sponsored by Boucher was given final approval by the House and Senate over the weekend, and authorizes the Secretary of the Army to convey to the Virginia Department of Veteran's Services the title and rights to the 85 acres of land managed by the Army as part of its Radford Arsenal operation in Pulaski County. The parcel in question is separate and apart from the main Arsenal site, and the use of the site for a veterans cemetery has received approval from the U.S. Army.

"I want to thank my colleagues in the U.S. Congress for their support of this critical legislation, and in doing so, supporting our Southwest Virginia veterans who so richly deserve this honor," said Boucher.

A veterans' cemetery in the region will serve as a final resting place and lasting tribute to the thousands of area service men and women. The new law that provides the necessary land for the new state cemetery represents a significant step towards accomplishing this goal. "Southwest Virginia is the proud home of thousands of veterans whose sacrifices and service have enabled the preservation of freedom in our time. It is only fitting that their final resting place be located in the area that they called home." Boucher concluded.

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