National veterans’ cemetery to open in spring in Jonesboro

A second national veterans' cemetery in Maine is under construction because of a federal rural initiative program and help from a Washington County family. The $3.8 million cemetery currently under construction in Jonesboro is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020.
"Remember, honor and teach" is the mission Morrill Worcester and his Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization that places wreaths on veterans' graves, strives for each day. It is also why he and his company, Worcester Holdings LLC, decided to donate a 6.2‑acre parcel of land in 2015 to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), specifically the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). That land is now being transformed and, when completed, will have the capacity to accommodate 8,000 interments of veterans, spouses and family members.
"The VA began looking for a location in Washington County, and as they passed into our town they saw the signs -- "Columbia Falls, Home of Wreaths Across America," says Worcester. "They thought having the cemetery so close to Wreaths Across America would make for a special place. When I learned about what they wanted to do, I told them I wanted to donate land for the cemetery."
Les Melnyk, chief of public affairs and outreach for NCA, says the new cemetery will initially be ready for 1,400 interments, including in‑ground burial of remains, in‑ground burial of cremains, columbaria space for cremains and a memorial wall. "Having the land donated was a great thing," says Melnyk. Valiant Construction LLC from Louisville, Ky., was awarded the project.
Currently there are one national cemetery in Maine under NCA management and four state‑managed veteran cemeteries: two outside Augusta, one in Springvale and one in Caribou. Togus National Cemetery in Chelsea was closed to new burials in 1961. There are 5,373 people interred at Togus.
The primary difference between state‑managed veteran cemeteries and a national veteran cemetery is that the NCA maintains and operates the cemetery under a "national shrine" standard. "This is not to say that state cemeteries don't do the same; in fact, they do," says Melnyk. "However, the basic difference is that a national cemetery, like the one that will be established in Jonesboro, will be maintained by the U.S. government for all time."
According to current regulations, burial in a VA national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces and veterans who have met minimum active duty service requirements and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty under certain circumstances or who die while on training duty are also eligible for burial, as are service members and former service members who were eligible for retired pay at the time of their death. Spouses, minor children and, under certain conditions, dependent unmarried adult children, are also eligible for burial even if they predecease the veteran.
The new cemetery was made possible through the Rural Initiative Program implemented by the VA in 2011. This program strives to establish a national cemetery presence in areas unserved by state or tribal organization veterans' cemeteries. "This area in Washington County was selected based on an NCA analysis of veteran population across the state," says Melnyk. "That analysis indicated VA could best serve the large veteran populations in Washington, Penobscot and Hancock counties by locating a national cemetery in the vicinity of Machias."
Reflecting on the other 137 national cemeteries under the vision and care of the NCA, Melnyk is certain the same duty will continue with this new national cemetery. "It's been said that we all die two deaths  the first, a physical one when breath leaves us for the very last time. The second, the last time someone speaks our name or tells our story. Through our dedicated, quality care, the NCA seeks to preserve all veterans' legacies in order to ensure no veteran will ever die."