VETERANS CEMETERY AGAIN DELAYED

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Construction of a state veterans cemetery at Bloomfield is again delayed, with the facility now slated to open for burials by March 2003, six months later than last anticipated.

Ron Taylor, the superintendent of services and cemeteries for the Missouri Veterans Commission, said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to give final approval to the design of the Bloomfield facility within the next few weeks.

"We've had some slowdowns in terms of getting feedback," Taylor said. "The VA has been very busy."

The VA is picking up the full tab for the Bloomfield cemetery and another at Jacksonville in Randolph County that is on the same timetable. Each is expected to cost between $5.5 million and $6 million to build.

The Bloomfield facility is to be situated just south of the center of town and adjacent to the Stars and Stripes military newspaper museum on a 65-acre site off of Highway 25.

Floyd Smith of Egypt Mills was disappointed to hear of the latest delay. He said the cemetery is a frequent topic of discussion among members of Cape Girardeau veterans groups to which he belongs.

"We were under the impression it was on the verge of opening," said Smith, who served in World War II. "We know it will be an asset to our community. We feel a number of veterans are not able to take advantage of military burial rites because there is no veterans cemetery available in the area. We are eagerly waiting for it to open."

Authorized in 1996

When the Missouri General Assembly passed legislation in 1996 authorizing the creation of a system of state veterans cemeteries, the VA split construction costs with states. A 1998 federal law authorizes the VA to pay the full cost.

While saving Missouri money, Taylor said the law has been largely responsible for delaying the Bloomfield and Jacksonville projects. Under the old funding program, only four states had cemetery plans. With the VA now paying the bills, more than 20 states are developing cemetery systems.

Taylor said Missouri hasn't lost its place near the front of the line for federal funds. With more states interested, however, VA staffers have faced an increased workload. As a result, winning federal approval at various steps in the process takes longer.

Originally, the Bloomfield and Jacksonville cemeteries were to be completed in late 1999, at the same time as two other state facilities in Springfield and Higginsville, which are currently open. More recently, the state Veterans Commission planned for construction to start last month with completion in September 2002.

The current plan, Taylor said, is for construction to begin in December and both cemeteries to open no later than March 2003.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," Taylor said. "If we have a really good year for weather and everything goes right, we could beat that a little bit. But with Missouri weather, you shouldn't count on it."

Taylor said all major issues, including road and utility access and building designs, raised by the VA have been resolved. There will be some minor tweaking to the state's plans.

Because federal money is paying for construction, Gov. Bob Holden's order to state agencies to cut their budgets won't affect the cemetery projects, Taylor said.

Large need exists

Since its opening in January 2000, more than 500 veterans have been laid to rest in the Springfield cemetery. Approximately 130 veterans have been interred at Higginsville, which is about 50 miles east of Kansas City.

Sites for the four cemeteries were chosen so 90 percent of Missouri's 569,000 resident veterans would live within 75 miles of a veterans cemetery. Barring a major war, the state system should accommodate veteran burials for the next 80 to 100 years.

Currently, there is only one federal veterans cemetery in Missouri still open for burials, the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in south St. Louis County. However, that facility is expected to reach capacity by 2010. At that time, a state cemetery in the St. Louis area might be considered.

To be eligible for internment in a state veterans cemetery, a veteran must have been honorably discharged from the service and have lived in Missouri for a minimum of six months at any point in his or her life. There is no cost to a veteran or his or her family.