State Legislators Seek New Veterans’ Cemeteries
State Sen. Greg Ball (R-C/Patterson) and Assemblyman Robert Castelli (R-Goldens Bridge) are pushing for legislation that would fund the construction of cemeteries for war veterans in the local region.
Ball and Castelli, who spoke at the Mount Kisco American Legion on Feb. 23, called on the state Assembly to pass the Veterans’ Cemetery Bill, which was okayed in the state Senate last year.
The duo want the state to participate in the federal Veterans Administration’s Cemetery Grant Program.
Ball said additional cemeteries for veterans were needed for the region. “We have tens of thousands of veterans who are underserved,” he said. “There’s a very generous federal program that allows for the creation of a state veterans cemetery, including a full reimbursement for the construction of that cemetery and a per -burial reimbursement of $700 per burial, that was increased from $250.”
More than 30 states already take part in the federal program, which has been existence for several years, Ball said.
There are hardships for local veterans because there are only two federal cemeteries for war veterans in the state – one on Long Island and the other in Saratoga, Ball said. Both are about 100 miles away from the Moun tKisco area, he said.
“We’re losing thousands of World War II, Korean War and other veterans every single day,” Ball said. “Because of such a generous federal program it is just common sense that we do the right thing.”
The legislation calls for the state to provide $500,000 for the program because the federal government requests that states provide 15 percent of the cost “to show its commitment toward the construction of the initial cemetery,” Ball said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has placed $500,000 for the program in his proposed 2012-13 budget, Ball said.
Ball asked residents to call their elected state officials to seek approval of the legislation. “In this region, because we have such a large number of undeserved veterans, we would certainly be on top of the priority list,” he said, noting that the federal government would approve where the new cemeteries would be located.
Misconceptions have prevented the legislation from being passed in the Assembly, Ball said. Some legislators are concerned about the costs of the maintenance of new commentaries for veterans and some lawmakers believe there would only be one new cemetery in the state, while there actually cold be more than one constructed through the program, he said.
Potential local sites for a new cemetery could include Montrose or Putnam County, Ball said.
Castelli, who is a Vietnam War veteran, said, “The message is very simple – no veteran in New York State should be denied the dignity of an honorable burial after a lifetime of faithful service to this nation.”
New York State currently has over 950,000 war veterans and they “are dying at a rate of more than 1,000 a day,” Castelli said.
Castelli asked residents to call either his office or Ball’s office to get the names of the members of the Veterans Affairs Committee in both the Senate and Assembly and “other individuals who can move this legislation” and contact those legislators.
Patrick Guido, who has been in the funeral business in the Bronx for 61 years, said burials in private cemeteries are costly. The cost of a grave in the metropolitan area is between $2,500 and $3,500 and the cost to open up one grave is about $1,900, he said. May families of veterans cannot afford those costs, he said.
