National Cemetery in Pembroke will be an asset for Orleans County vets

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 January 2016 at 12:00 am

PEMBROKE – The new National Cemetery in Pembroke will ensure veterans from Orleans County and Western New York have a fitting burial and well-maintained gravesite.

“Right now they have to drive to Bath for a National Cemetery,” said Earl Schmidt, the director of the Veterans Service Agency in Orleans County. “Now it will be within 15 minutes.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs acquired a 132-acre parcel at 1232 Indian Falls Road in 2014 for $625,000. The cemetery will have room for more than 96,000 veterans.

The VA will have a public meeting tonight to share information and solicit feedback on the cemetery. The meeting is scheduled in Batavia at the VA Medical Center from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Building #4.

Speakers will include Joshua M. de Leon, National Cemetery Administration; Glenn Madderom, Department of Veterans Affairs Cemetery Development and Improvement Service; and Mark Tillotson, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management.

VA officials will provide an update on the project and seek feedback on the master plan and design process.

Schmidt said he welcomes the cemetery to the area.

“A National Cemetery will always be maintained and veterans are honored everyday,” he said.