Peace Garden News

MANDAN, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement in observance of Memorial Day, honoring those servicemembers who lost their lives in defense of the nation. Today, Hoeven addressed the Memorial Day Ceremony at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery (NDVC) and helped break ground on the cemetery’s new columbarium.

“Memorial Day provides us with a renewed opportunity to come together as a nation to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may continue to live free, including the more than 2,900 North Dakotans who gave their lives serving in the Armed Forces,” said Hoeven “We can never fully repay our veterans for their dedicated service, but there are many ways we can work to honor their sacrifices and those of their families and loved ones. The investments we’ve secured in our outstanding state and federal veterans cemeteries, including the NDVC’s new columbarium, are one such effort, which come as part of our broader work to ensure veterans receive the health care, benefits and recognition they have earned.”

In March, Hoeven announced a nearly $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration, which when combined with $600,000 from the NDVC Foundation supports the construction of 2,240 columbarium niches, landscaping and infrastructure on approximately one acre of land at the NDVC, providing additional burial options for the state’s veterans and eligible family members. As a member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked to secure the grant for the NDVC, including introducing and successfully passing the Burial Equity for Guard and Reserves Act to ensure cemeteries like the NDVC remained eligible for VA grants.

Original source can be found here.