ADVA seeks land donatin to establish second state veterans cemetery

MONTGOMERY — The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) is asking for public assistance in identifying property for a state veterans cemetery in north Alabama.
ADVA Commissioner Jeff Newton has met with numerous state legislators and city and county officials in Madison, Morgan, and Limestone counties the past several months to convey the importance a second state veterans cemetery would provide Alabama's 400,000 veterans.
Plans to create a second state veterans cemetery in north Alabama will gain many of the 42,709 unserved veterans in Alabama, as noted in the FY2021 National Cemetery Administration budget formulation.
“As we continue our mission to honor and serve Alabama’s veterans and their families, establishing a second state veterans cemetery is a top priority. We are actively seeking a land donation to help make this vision a reality,” said commissioner Newton.
“A new cemetery in north Alabama would provide easier access to a dignified final resting place for thousands of veterans and their loved ones statewide and ensure they receive the honor and recognition they have earned through their service.”
To move forward with the project,

ADVA is seeking the donation of approximately 110 acres of usable, rolling farmland in north Alabama for the facility. The property would also ideally have low traffic and be absent of any noise pollution.
ADVA currently operates the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort — a 120-acre facility along Alabama Highway 225 in Baldwin County. The facility was dedicated in December 2012 and began interments in April 2013. There are a total of 5,000 graves within ground crypts, traditional graves, columbarium niches and a scatter garden. The lifespan of the entire cemetery is 100 years.

Marlon Holloway speaks on local opportunity & honor
To obtain a local perspective, we asked Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Service Officer Marlon Holloway, who serves Marion and Franklin counties, to comment on the opportunity.
“I’d like to add, with this article released from the ADVA, that this is a great opportunity for our area--for Marion County or even Franklin, Fayette or Winston counties.
“This is a chance to see if we can get this cemetery built here in our part of the country, versus up north. The cemetery is for north Alabama, but they are predominately looking toward the northwest side.”
Holloway noted the news release lists three counties the ADVA has already been in discussion with, but he stated “nothing is set in stone yet.”
He continued, “Right now, they’re starting the research and getting the information together. The biggest challenge is getting the property donated by a landowner or multiple landowners. They need 110 acres, although they will take more acres. There’s always room for expansion.”
Holloway explained the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort was expanded approximately two years ago.
“They ADVA is looking for an out-of-the-way place, where there’s not a lot of noise pollution,” he said “It needs to be somewhere quiet. We have a lot of property in our local counties that can fill this requirement. There’s a lot of land people have sold their timber off of, and it’s just sitting there.
“We do have a lot of gentle, rolling farmland. They’re not looking for big hills, so cutover timber would work. A lot of the trees will be pushed away for the vaults and the grass, anyway.”
Holloway said he thinks it would be a wonderful opportunity and an honor to have a state cemetery located in this part of Alabama.
“We don’t have a cemetery up in north Alabama that’s a federal or a state cemetery,” he said. “The Fort Mitchell National Cemetery is near the Alabama/Georgia line. The Alabama National Cemetery is in Montevallo. And the state cemetery at Spanish Fort is near the Mobile Bay.”
He also explained the need for a new cemetery has been under review by the ADVA for quite a few years.
“We’re finally getting some traction on it,” he said. “I’m glad to see ADVA Commissioner Jeff Newton is leading this up, along with Mr. Wade Morrison.
“I think it would be a great opportunity for us in this area. Of course, I’m in favor of it being in Marion County. But if it were to be located in any of the surrounding counties, that’d be good, too. It’d just be great to get a state cemetery in our area.”
Holloway thinks there are a lot of places that would work well here.
“And with the interstate nearby, land here would be easily accessible,” he said. “You can get off the interstate and be out in the middle of nowhere within four to five miles.
“That’s what they’re looking for--easy access--but out of the way and quiet. There are plenty of places down here just a few miles off of major roads that would be perfect.”
Holloway said if anyone has any questions about donating 110 acres of land or more, they should contact A. Wade Morrison, the executive administrator of the ADVA by phone at 334-242-5077, via fax at 334-353-5072, by email at Wade.Morrison@va.alabama.gov. or visit ADVA online at va.alabama.gov and Facebook.com/alsdva
 For other local veterans matters, Holloway can be reached at 205-921-3161 every weekday except for Thursday, when he is at the Russellville office at 256-332-8845.