Regional Industry & News

New veterans cemetery in Augusta to break ground in November

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After years of planning and advocacy, work is set to begin this fall on what officials say will be the largest veterans cemetery in Georgia, giving thousands of local veterans and their families a place of honor closer to home.

During an update meeting Wednesday, officials said crews are expect to break ground in November on the new state veterans cemetery, which will be located behind East Central Regional Hospital on Tobacco Road in Augusta. Construction is projected to take about a year and a half.

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This will be Georgia’s third state veterans cemetery, and it will be open to all eligible U.S. veterans and their families, not just those who served from Georgia. The project is designed to expand burial options for more than 66,000 veterans and eligible family members in east central Georgia, who currently may have to travel to Milledgeville or Columbia to access a dedicated veterans cemetery.

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R–Augusta, joined local leaders, veterans and residents at the meeting highlighting federal support for the project.

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According to Allen’s office, up to $10 million in federal funding is being made available through the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program. The money was appropriated through H.R. 5371, a broader funding bill covering military construction and veterans affairs, among other areas.

Allen said he has pushed for years to bring a veterans cemetery to Augusta so local veterans “have reasonable access to burial benefits close to home.” He also credited former Augusta Mayor Bob Young and Augusta Commissioner Don Clark for their long-running advocacy.

The idea of an Augusta veterans cemetery dates back at least to 2001, when Young first began pushing for the project. Local, state and federal leaders have spent roughly the last seven years working to secure land, approvals and funding to make the cemetery a reality.

Right now, many veterans from the Augusta area are buried in multiple cemeteries across the region because there has not been a single, centralized cemetery dedicated to their service. Supporters say the new site will provide dignified, accessible and lasting honors to those who served, while giving families a place close by to remember their loved ones.