Neighbor News
Grant Opportunity Would Expand Southern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery
Projections necessitate expansion as Maine's veteran population continues to age
AUGUSTA, Maine - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has offered the Maine Bureau of Veteran’s Services (MBVS) a $3.8 million federal grant opportunity to expand the Southern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery in Springvale, Maine.
The cemetery is located within the largest concentration of veterans in Maine: 60,961 veterans live within 1.5 hours of the cemetery and most of these veterans are over age 50. Burial projections indicate that in-ground cremation sections will reach capacity in 2020 and casket grave sites by 2030 with the cemetery’s current capacity.
“The expansion is necessary to meet our obligation to Maine’s veterans,” Scott Brown, MBVS Cemetery Superintendent explained. “This grant opportunity would enable the Maine Veterans Cemetery System to develop the additional infrastructure projected to be required to provide Maine veterans a final resting place.”
The expansion will include new roadways, 7,000 cremation plots, and over 3,500 full-size casket plots.
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“The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services is committed to the preservation of our veterans’ legacies as well as the historical integrity of the Maine Veterans’ Cemetery System’s four state-run veteran cemeteries in Springvale, Augusta (2), and Caribou,” said David Richmond, acting Director of MBVS. “Hundreds of thousands of Mainers have raised their right hand in service to their country, and it’s our commitment to ensure they are honored and memorialized for their sacrifices.”
To learn more about Maine’s Veterans’ Cemeteries, contact Scott Brown, Superintendent, Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System at 207-287-3481 or email mvmcs@maine.gov. You can also call the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services at 207-430-6035 or visit their website www.maine.gov/veterans to learn more about available resources.
About Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services
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The Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services was established in 1947 by the State of Maine and is part of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. Our mission is to help Mainers who served, and their loved ones, understand and navigate the benefits, services, and programs available to them. The Bureau does this by being a responsive, experienced, and dedicated advocate. The Bureau is headquartered at Camp Keyes and has seven field service offices located throughout the state and a claims office located at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Togus, Maine. The Bureau also operates the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery System which includes four veterans’ cemeteries. For more information about the Bureau or to request assistance, please visit our website at www.maine.gov/veterans.