Second phase nearing completion
Phase II provides sections for 1,079 in-ground cremains, and 1,912 in-ground crypts
SEASIDE >> The second phase of the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery in Seaside is nearing completion and will allow, for the first time, the inground burial of veterans and their spouses at the sprawling facility on land that was once Fort Ord.
“We’ve been looking forward to the completion of Phase II of the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery since it first opened in 2016,” said Keith Boylan, CalVet Deputy Secretary for Veterans Services. “Thanks to the incredible support at local, state, and federal levels, CalVet will be able to honor and memorialize more veterans in this beautiful location for decades to come.”
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Cemetery is broken up into 11 phases so that it can be funded and built over time as demand for burial space and interment of ashes increases.
The cemeter y, located at 2900 Parker Flats Road in Seaside, is operated by the California Department of Veterans Affairs and is its third veterans cemetery along with the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo in Shasta County and the Yountville Veterans Cemetery near Napa.
The second phase of the Veterans Cemetery was developed within about 4.5 acres adjacent to the 26-acre first phase that consists of the administration and maintenance buildings, columbaria to house cremation urns of 5,000 niches, and a committal shelter for ceremonies.
With the completion of Phase II scheduled for the end of this month, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery will be able to provide in-ground casket and cremains burials, and interment of cremains in columbaria. There will also be a memorial wall for remembrances of those who have passed and their remains are not available.
The second phase provides sections for 1,079 inground cremains, and 1,912 in-ground crypts that have already been placed with most work covered and underground.
According to CalVet, in-ground burials are expected in late winter or early spring, assuming no delays.
Funding for Phase II of the Central Coast Veterans was made possible with the support of a $6.4 million federal grant from the National Cemetery Administration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, state funding, and donations contributed through the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation.
“The sole purpose and commitment of the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation is to honor all who serve in any and all of the military branches by assuring there is a complete final resting place provided with respect and honor for them and their spouses,” said Candace Ingram, Cemetery Foundation spokeswoman. “At the Foundation, we believe that veterans have done the jobs this nation has asked and will ask of them to preserve and protect our country and our freedoms, including many who made the supreme sacrifice in giving of their own lives.”
Ingram added that the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation remains fully functioning and appreciative of contributions that allow it to assist with both current beautification and help with maintaining some equipment as well as planning forward for the next phase that will need “local match” funding for any state and federal grants within the anticipated next 8 to 10 years based on projections for capacity needs.
The Fort Ord Reuse Authority ended in 2020. It was created after the announced closure of the Fort Ord Army Base in 1991. To facilitate the base’s conversion from military to civilian use, it acknowledged the impact of Fort Ord in the region and the legacy of those who served in the U.S. armed forces, by setting aside178 acres for the construction of a veterans cemetery to serve veterans and their families particularly from Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Clara counties.
“While as a nation we may sometimes take freedom for granted, the freedoms we each enjoy every day really are remarkable when considering humankind and human behavior throughout history, including looking within the world today,” said Ingram. “It is veterans who will and have responded when called to do so. At the (Central Coast Veterans Cemetery) Foundation, we believe they deserve respect and honor for that commitment and service.”
To contribute to the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation, visit its website at https://ccvcf.org/contribute/. For more information about the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, visit the CalVet website at www.calvet.ca.gov/ VetServices/Pages/California- Central- Coast-Veterans-Cemetery.aspx.