Fort Jackson National Cemetery

Fort Jackson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located northeast of Columbia, South Carolina. It encompasses 585 acres (237 ha) acquired from Fort Jackson, a United States Army Basic Training facility, and was dedicated on October 26, 2008.[1]

Fort Jackson National Cemetery
Fort Jackson National Cemetery
Details
Location
4170 Percival Rd., Columbia, South Carolina
Coordinates34°05′27″N 80°51′00″W
Owned byDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Size585 acres (237 ha)
No. of interments>9,000
Find a GraveFort Jackson National Cemetery

History

The Veterans Administration was authorized to establish six new burial sites by the National Cemetery Act of 2003. Areas not served by an existing National Cemetery and containing at least 170,000 veteran residents included Bakersfield, California; Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Sarasota County, Florida; southeastern Pennsylvania and Columbia- Greenville, South Carolina.[2]

The Fort Jackson National Cemetery joins two existing civil war cemeteries in South Carolina, Florence National Cemetery and Beaufort National Cemetery.[3]

Site Status

Initial construction began in May, 2008 and created a 15-acre (6.1 ha) burial area with temporary facilities. Stage 1A was completed in December, 2008, and the grounds were opened for burials in January, 2009. On July 9, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a $10 million contract to develop stage 1B at the cemetery, with construction starting immediately[4] on an entrance, roadways within the 50-acre (20 ha) section, permanent buildings for administration and maintenance, a public information center and shelters for services during inclement weather.[1] Infrastructure consisting of drainage, fencing, landscaping, irrigation and utilities is also being built. The section under development will provide 5,000 gravesites, including 4,200 pre-placed crypts, 5,000 in-ground cremation sites and 2,000 columbarium niches.[1] Stage 1 is expected to be complete at the end of 2010 or early 2011.[5]

References
  1. Kappler, Susanne: "Burials at Fort Jackson National Cemetery close at hand" Fort Jackson Leader, October 31, 2008
  2. "New National Cemeteries - Burial & Memorials". Archived from the original on 2010-08-17. Retrieved 2010-08-18. Department of Veterans Affairs, Burial & Memorials, New National Cemeteries
  3. "National Cemetery Administration – South Carolina" Veterans Administration, Cemetery Locations
  4. "South Carolina Firm Awarded $10 Million Contract" US Fed News Service, July 10, 2009
  5. "VA Expanding Fort Jackson National Cemetery" Veterans Administration press release, July 9, 2009
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