Road to newly dedicated veteran’s cemetery completed

Photo By 1st Lt. Wes Parrell | The Arizona National Guard hosted the dedication ceremony for the Northern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery road at Camp Navajo, Thursday. The 1.5-mile long Veterans Drive will provide direct access to the newly constructed veteran’s cemetery at Camp Navajo, which was dedicated June 11. The completion of this $1.7 million project is the culmination of several years of planning and coordination by the Department of Veteran Services and the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Wes Parrell)  

BELLEMONT, AZ, UNITED STATES

09.22.2016

Story by Sgt. Wes Parrell 

Arizona National Guard Public Affairs

BELLEMONT, Ariz. – The Arizona National Guard hosted the dedication ceremony for the Northern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery road at Camp Navajo, Thursday.

The 1.5-mile long Veterans Drive will provide direct access to the newly constructed veteran’s cemetery, which was dedicated June 11. The completion of this $1.7 million project is the culmination of several years of planning and coordination by the Arizona Department of Veteran Services and the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.

“This one and a half mile road is not only a tangible representation of the good things that can happen with interagency collaboration, but also a physical symbol of the connection of the community to its veterans,” said Col. Kipling Kahler, commander of the 198th Regional Support Group.

The completion and dedication of this cemetery makes Arizona home to five Veteran cemeteries that are located in Marana, Prescott, Phoenix, Sierra Vista and now Bellemont.

With more than half a million veterans living in Arizona, the completion of the Northern AZ Veterans Memorial Cemetery project provides the opportunity to honor the sacrifice and service that they have done for our country.

“This day provides us, as a state, the opportunity to pause and remember the service and sacrifice of so many different and remarkable people, our veterans, and our heroes who are here only in spirit,” Kahler said.

Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Specific guidance on military funeral support is outlined in DoD Directive 1300.15.

• Date Taken: 09.22.2016
• Date Posted: 09.23.2016 16:35
• Story ID: 210485
• Location: BELLEMONT, AZ, US