Orange County officials are celebrating word that the proposed location for a veterans cemetery has landed on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ priority list for cemetery grants, a long-awaited milestone in the push to give Orange County’s veterans a final resting place close to home.
The designation confirms the project meets all federal requirements for construction, said Nick Berardino, president of the Veterans Alliance of Orange County and a Marine Corps veteran who has been behind the push.
Twenty members of California’s congressional delegation signed onto a letter in August urging the VA to approve the pre-application for the veterans cemetery to get a $6 million grant. With the federal government shutdown underway, there’s no clear timeline on when funding decisions will be announced.
The funding is a final piece needed to build in Anaheim Hills’ Gypsum Canyon. The Orange County Cemetery District is already constructing a public cemetery there, and the plan is to split the property to also create the Southern California State Veterans Cemetery.
The administration has ranked Orange County only 13th, making clear that more work must be done in Washington,” Berardino said. “We call on California’s commander-in-chief, Gov. Gavin Newsom, to immediately take possession of the Gypsum Canyon property. Doing so will allow California to honor its veterans and advance construction while federal funding efforts continue.
“California’s veterans must not be caught in the crossfire of disputes between Sacramento and Washington,” he added. “This project must move forward without delay.”
The county has already set aside more than $55 million in state and local funds, and the land is ready to go.
The VA’s decision to prioritize the cemetery for funding “gives long-overdue hope to Orange County veterans and their families,” OC Board of Supervisors Chair Doug Chaffee said in a statement.
Orange County Cemetery District General Manager Tim Deutsch has said the aim is to break ground next year, with the public cemetery slated to open by 2027 or 2028. He said in August that a cost-sharing agreement between the cemetery district and CalVet hasn’t been finalized, that would come after the decision on a federal grant.