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National Cemetery

Administration

The American Legion August 26, 2006 National Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission

Richard A. Wannemacher, Jr. Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs

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Mission

The National Cemetery AdministrationThe National Cemetery Administrationhonors veterans with final resting honors veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate lasting tributes that commemorate

their service to our Nation.their service to our Nation.

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Responsibilities

Provide burial space for veterans and Provide burial space for veterans and maintain cemeteries as National Shrinesmaintain cemeteries as National Shrines

Administer the Federal grants program for Administer the Federal grants program for construction of state veterans cemeteriesconstruction of state veterans cemeteries

Furnish headstones and markersFurnish headstones and markers

Administer the Presidential Memorial Administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate ProgramCertificate Program

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National Cemetery Administration

1,523 FTE

123 national cemeteries

2.7 million gravesites

93,245 interments (FY 2005)

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National Cemetery AdministrationFY 2005 – Memorial Programs

363,627 Headstones 363,627 Headstones and Markers Providedand Markers Provided

487,809 Presidential 487,809 Presidential Memorial CertificatesMemorial Certificates

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NCA Total Programs Budget

$346$328

$317

0

$400 Million

FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 Budget Request

$353

$300 Million

$200 Million

$100 Million

$143million

$148 million

$150 million

O&M$161 million

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NCA Total Programs Budget - FY 06

• Operations and Maintenance $150 Million

• Information Technology $ 4 Million

• Headstones, Markers, Allowances $ 41 Million

• Graveliners, OBR Reimbursements $ 30 Million

• State Cemetery Grants Program $ 32 Million

• Major Construction $ 65 Million

• Minor Construction $ 24 Million NCA Total Programs $346 Million

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Projected Veteran Deaths

515

626687 671

622562

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1995 2000 2006 2010 2015 2020

Total Vet Deaths

Vietnam Era

Korean Era

WW II Era

Thousands

War Period Participants Living Veterans Median Age

WW I 4,734,000 <30 105

WW II 16,112,000 3,526,000 82

Korean Conflict 5,720,000 3,257,000 74

Vietnam Era 9,200,000 8,055,000 58

Gulf War Era 2,322,000 4,378,000 36

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NCA Strategy to MeetNCA Strategy to MeetBurial Needs of VeteransBurial Needs of Veterans

• Develop new Develop new cemeteriescemeteries

• Extend the service life Extend the service life of existing cemeteriesof existing cemeteries

• Encourage states to Encourage states to build veterans build veterans cemeteriescemeteries

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New National Cemeteries

SacramentoValleyVA NationalCemeteryOctober 2007

South FloridaNational CemeterySpring 2007

Georgia National Cemetery April 2006

National Cemeteryof the Alleghenies August 2005

Great LakesNational Cemetery October 2005

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Future National Cemeteries

Sarasota area

Bakersfieldarea

Philadelphia area

Birmingham area

Jacksonville area

Columbia/Greenville, S.C. area

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State Cemetery Grants Program VA provides 100% of development costs

$258 million awarded in 150 grants since 1980 36 states, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands received grants

63 operational, 5 under construction States provided 20,822 burials in FY 05

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Meeting Burial Needs –Percent of Veteran Population Served*

*within 75 miles of a national or state veterans cemetery

73.9% 75.2% 75.3%77.1%

81.6%83.8%

90%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

FY02 FY04 FY06 FY10FY03 FY05 FY07

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Open National and State Cemeteries

National Cemetery

State Cemetery

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1 Riverside, CA 8,079 322 Florida 6,821 273 Calverton, NY 6,815 274 Ft. Snelling, MN 4,501 185 Jefferson Barracks, MO 4,469 186 Ft. Sam Houston, TX 3,668 157 Ft. Logan, CO 3,355 138 Willamette, OR 3,306 139 Nat. Mem. Cem. of Ariz. 2,998 12

10 B/Gen Wm. C. Doyle, NJ 2,669 11

Ten Most Active - FY 2005

Average

Rank Veterans Cemetery Burials Per Day

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NCA Gravesites Maintained

550,000

600,000

650,000

700,000

750,000

20002001

20022003

20042005

20062007

20082009

20102011

20122013

20142015

2,000,000

2,400,000

2,800,000

3,200,000

3,600,000

Gravesites MaintainedVeteran Deaths

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National Shrine Commitment

An initiative to maintain the appearance of VA cemeteries in a manner befitting their

status as National Shrines.

National Shrine Commitment

Before

Danville National Cemetery, IL

After

National Shrine Commitment

Before

Wood National Cemetery, WI – Drain Marshy Area

After

National Shrine Commitment

Before

Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, TXFort Sam Houston National Cemetery, TX

After

National Shrine Commitment

Before

National Cemetery of the Alleghenies National Cemetery of the Alleghenies PennsylvaniaPennsylvania

After

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NCA will provide a lasting tribute to our Nation’s

veterans by being mission driven, results oriented

and customer focused.