The Department of Veterans Affairs made a significant move to honor veterans in the New York City area with the unveiling of the new St. Albans National Cemetery and Columbarium in Queens. According to PIX11, the site will provide a final resting place for the cremated remains of service members.
Tanya Bradsher, the Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary, emphasized the importance of the project, stating to PIX11, “We are opening our first cemetery in two years. We are very excited to open the St. Albans cemetery. It will house 3,700 of cremated remains here and we’re super excited to have a facility within Queens.” The site is part of the department's Urban Initiative Program, aimed at ensuring that veterans' families have nearby access to their loved ones' resting places. An additional advantage is its proximity to NYC, compared to previous options that were over an hour's drive away.
The substantial project, which will serve nearly 600,000 veterans within a 60-mile radius, was officially dedicated on November 9, and includes 3,760 columbarium niches to start off. According to a report by QNS, the cemetery's first phase was funded at $16.7 million. Interments are expected to begin in the late winter or early spring of 2025 following construction completion by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Bradsher highlighted the significance of the effort to QNS, stating, "This magnificent new cemetery expands access to lasting resting places for New York veterans closer to home," and emphasized the familial aspect, "Here, generations of families will visit and remember their loved ones, and find a place for spiritual comfort and healing." Retired Colonel Terrance Holliday echoed these sentiments in his interview with PIX11, saying, “When you think about that generation that’s slipping away from WW2 and getting into Korea. As a veteran, this is where it ends for you and the families, and this is a place families can come and visit.”
The new cemetery is cited as a demonstration of the VA's commitment to respecting the veterans' service and ensuring they are never forgotten. It adds to the roster of Urban Initiative locations which includes sites in Los Angeles and Crown Hill, Indiana. Those seeking information on VA burial benefits can reach out to St. Albans National Cemetery Director Jeffrey Taveras or visit the VA’s National Cemetery Administration website.
