Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration The

Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration The American Legion August 26, 2006 National Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Richard A. Wannemacher, Jr. Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs

Mission The National Cemetery Administration honors veterans with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service to our Nation. 2

Responsibilities w Provide burial space for veterans and maintain cemeteries as National Shrines w Administer the Federal grants program for construction of state veterans cemeteries w Furnish headstones and markers w Administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate Program 3

National Cemetery Administration w 1, 523 FTE w 123 national cemeteries w 2. 7 million gravesites w 93, 245 interments (FY 2005)

National Cemetery Administration FY 2005 – Memorial Programs 363, 627 Headstones and Markers Provided 487, 809 Presidential Memorial Certificates

NCA Total Programs Budget $400 Million $300 $346 $328 $317 $353 Million O&M $200 Million $143 million $100 Million $150 million $148 million $161 million 0 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 Budget Request 6

NCA Total Programs Budget - FY 06 • Operations and Maintenance $150 Million • Information Technology $ • Headstones, Markers, Allowances $ 41 Million • Graveliners, OBR Reimbursements $ 30 Million • State Cemetery Grants Program $ 32 Million • Major Construction $ 65 Million • Minor Construction $ 24 Million NCA Total Programs 4 Million $346 Million 7

Projected Veteran Deaths Thousands War Period Participants Living Veterans Median Age WW I 4, 734, 000 <30 105 WW II 16, 112, 000 3, 526, 000 82 Korean Conflict 5, 720, 000 3, 257, 000 74 Vietnam Era Gulf War Era 9, 200, 000 2, 322, 000 8, 055, 000 4, 378, 000 58 36 8

NCA Strategy to Meet Burial Needs of Veterans • Develop new cemeteries • Extend the service life of existing cemeteries • Encourage states to build veterans cemeteries 9

New National Cemeteries Great Lakes National Cemetery October 2005 Sacramento Valley VA National Cemetery October 2007 National Cemetery of the Alleghenies August 2005 Georgia National Cemetery April 2006 South Florida National Cemetery Spring 2007

Future National Cemeteries Philadelphia area Bakersfield area Birmingham area Columbia/ Greenville, S. C. area Jacksonville area Sarasota area 11

State Cemetery Grants Program w VA provides 100% of development costs w $258 million awarded in 150 grants since 1980 w 36 states, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands received grants w 63 operational, 5 under construction w States provided 20, 822 burials in FY 05

Meeting Burial Needs – Percent of Veteran Population Served* 100% 90% 80% 73. 9% 75. 2% 75. 3% 77. 1% 81. 6% 83. 8% 70% 60% 50% FY 02 FY 03 FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 10 *within 75 miles of a national or state veterans cemetery 13

Open National and State Cemeteries National Cemetery State Cemetery 14

Ten Most Active - FY 2005 Average Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Veterans Cemetery Riverside, CA Florida Calverton, NY Ft. Snelling, MN Jefferson Barracks, MO Ft. Sam Houston, TX Ft. Logan, CO Willamette, OR Nat. Mem. Cem. of Ariz. B/Gen Wm. C. Doyle, NJ Burials 8, 079 6, 821 6, 815 4, 501 4, 469 3, 668 3, 355 3, 306 2, 998 2, 669 Per Day 32 27 27 18 18 15 13 13 12 11

NCA Gravesites Maintained 750, 000 3, 600, 000 700, 000 3, 200, 000 650, 000 2, 800, 000 600, 000 2, 400, 000 550, 000 2, 000 15 20 14 20 13 20 12 20 11 20 10 20 09 20 08 20 07 20 06 20 05 20 04 20 03 20 02 20 01 20 00 20 Veteran Deaths Gravesites Maintained 16

National Shrine Commitment An initiative to maintain the appearance of VA cemeteries in a manner befitting their status as National Shrines. 17

National Shrine Commitment Danville National Cemetery, IL Before After 18

National Shrine Commitment Wood National Cemetery, WI – Drain Marshy Area Before After 19

National Shrine Commitment Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, TX Before After 20

National Shrine Commitment National Cemetery of the Alleghenies Pennsylvania Before After 21

NCA will provide a lasting tribute to our Nation’s veterans by being mission driven, results oriented and customer focused. 22