Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Development for New Veteran Cemetery in Louisiana

Currently the Port Hudson National Cemetery is the final resting place for deceased service members but the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently reviewed current space availability and determined that the cemetery would run out of burial space for cremains by 2015 without an expansion.

The VA chose a 103-acre area on West Mount Pleasant Road near Zachary, LA as the site for the new Louisiana National Cemetery, due to a Confederate artillery battery left behind on the adjacent land of Port Hudson. The $2.08 million land investment will be dedicated on March 24 at 11 a.m. CST and development on the 2-phase project will begin shortly thereafter.

The first phase will cover 17 acres and create 1,128 traditional burial plots, as well as 2,500 in-ground crypts. The infrastructure will also begin to take shape with an entrance feature, utilities, and roads.

The second phase will develop an additional 12 acres with 1,130 plots for cremains and 1,000 columbarium niches. An administrative building, public assembly area, and maintenance complex will be built and the final touches will be added to the roads and utilities as well as landscaping, a water distribution system, and signage.

As with most national cemeteries for military service members, those with a discharge other than dishonorable or those who died during active duty will be eligible for burial at Louisiana National Cemetery. Their spouses and immediate dependent children may also qualify for eligibility.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.