A new Virginia law authorizes state veterans cemeteries to provide an honored final resting place to former Guardsmen and Reservists who may not have previously qualified for interment at a veterans cemetery because they did not meet the minimum active duty service time.
With the interment of David A. Corona, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1996 after serving for eight years, on April 25, Virginia became the first state in the nation to bury a former reserve component service member under the new eligibility standards.
“Virginia is proud to be the first state in the nation to offer former Guardsmen, Reservists, and their family members the opportunity for interment in places of honor in perpetuity alongside their brothers and sisters in arms,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said. “Our former Guardsmen and Reservists stood ready to answer the call when they wore the cloth of our country, and now we can ensure they have a dignified final resting place when they answer that final call.”
This interment is different from the more than 2,500 burials of veterans and their eligible dependents each year at Virginia’s three state veterans cemeteries. It is the first interment since the signing of the Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act into law on March 15.
Prior to the passage of the legislation, states that had received a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the establishment, expansion, or operation of a state veterans cemetery were only authorized to inter eligible veterans – those who had served 24 continuous months on active duty – and their dependents.
Under the Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act, any honorably-discharged Guardsmen or Reservist is eligible, even if they do not have the requisite active duty time.
Under its new Special Category Interment Program, DVS will offer three interment options for former Guardsmen, Reservists, and eligible family members: in-ground casketed burial, in-ground cremated burial, and above-ground cremated burial (in a columbarium niche).
SCIP fees are $2,000 for casketed burials and $1,700 for cremated burials. These fees include the burial plot or columbarium niche, a headstone or niche cover, an outer burial receptacle for caskets, opening and closing of the grave, a place to conduct a committal service, and perpetual care.
“The National Guard is a community-based force, so providing the option for being laid to rest with honor closer to home is a fitting way to honor their service,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the adjutant general of Virginia. “We applaud Virginia for leading the way in turning this legislation into reality and thank the Virginia Department of Veterans Services for everything they do to support military personnel and their families across the Commonwealth.”
To learn more about the new DVS Special Category Interment Program (SCIP) for former Guardsmen, Reservists, and eligible family members, please contact DVS at 1-855-4VA-VETS (1-855-482-8387). Former Guardsmen and Reservists who were previously denied interment at a Virginian state veterans cemetery are encouraged to re-apply.
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