VETERANS CEMETERY SOUGHT FOR CAPE AREA

The Joint Veterans Council has decided to take the lead in what will become an effort to get a state veterans cemetery in Cape Girardeau County. It is logical that the council, made up of veterans organizations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, lead the effort, and that the cemetery be situated in Cape Girardeau County.

The Missouri Veterans Commission is looking for a cemetery site for veterans who reside in Southeast Missouri. The commission wants site proposals by July 1, and it expects to make a decision by the end of this year.

With the number of veterans' deaths expected to peak by 2010 -- and only two national veterans cemeteries remaining open in Missouri -- additional cemeteries are needed for some of the state's more than 500,000 veterans. National cemeteries in Springfield and Jefferson City have reached capacity. Springfield will be the site for a state veterans cemetery to serve the southwest part of the state, and Higginsville and Marshall have been selected to serve the west-central region of Missouri.

In deciding to try to get the cemetery in Cape Girardeau County, the Joint Veterans Council raised some good points on why it should be here. The area is centrally situated with interstate access and has a large population of veterans. It also meets most of the state's site requirements, the council said.

A key to the effort will be obtaining a tract of land attractive as a cemetery site. The Veterans Commission wants a minimum of 50 acres and prefers that the land be donated, although it would purchase a site if necessary. The commission anticipates the cemetery will cost $3.5 million to $4 million before it is ready for use.

A donated site would be a definite plus in the effort, as would a show of support by organizations and local governments across the county. That's what it will take if Cape Girardeau County is to be chosen, and the Joint Veterans Council is the proper organization to get the ball rolling.