VA Awards Record-High $106.5 Million in Cemetery Grants in Fiscal Year 2026 to 21 Cemeteries
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced on October 27 that in fiscal year 2026 it awarded a record-high $106.5 million in grants to 21 veterans cemeteries in U.S. states, territories and tribal nations, the most single-year funding since the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program began in 1980. (GSM, based on a VA press release)
The grants typically fund construction of new veterans cemeteries, expansion of existing ones, improvements needed to maintain interments, and operations and maintenance projects. Among the largest FY2026 awards are $18,094,445 to establish the Alabama Veterans Memorial Cemetery-North in Huntsville, $16,711,624 to establish the Carlsbad State Veterans Cemetery in New Mexico, $14,740,955 to establish the Northern Utah Veterans Cemetery in Washington Terrace, and $13,610,908 to establish the Georgia Memorial Veterans Cemetery at Augusta.
"Every VA cemetery grant reflects our commitment to honor the lives of those who served our nation," said Sam Brown, VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs, adding that under President Trump's leadership VA is strengthening partnerships with states, territories and tribal nations to ensure veterans and their families have local access to the burial benefits they earned. Since 1980, VA has awarded more than $1.2 billion to more than 120 cemeteries in 47 states, 14 tribal nations and three territories, and more than 94% of veterans in the United States live within 75 miles of a veterans cemetery.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：退伍军人公墓葬礼上吹奏《安息号》的军号手（资料图）。美国陆军官方照片，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: A bugler plays Taps at a veterans cemetery funeral (file photo). U.S. Army photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
