‘Buried at home.’ Tri-Cities is proposed new site for WA state’s 2nd veterans cemetery

The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs is on the hunt for about 100 or more serene acres in the Tri-Cities to support dreams of developing the state’s next veterans cemetery.

The proposed Tri-Cities Veterans Cemetery would be the second state veterans cemetery and would echo the first in Medical Lake .

The agency opened the 120-plus acre cemetery near Fairchild Air Force Base in 2010. It held more than 900 services last year.

State cemeteries complement 135 national cemeteries, including Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, south of Seattle. It’s Washington’s lone national cemetery.

May Hays, a West Richland City councilwoman, and Shirley Schmunk, a Gold Star mother , began working about two years ago to bring a veterans cemetery to the Tri-Cities.

The effort is an outgrowth of their work to organize Time of Remembrance events for Gold Star families, who have lost members serving in the military.

Schmunk’s son, Army Spc. Jeremiah W. Schmunk , died July 8, 2004, when his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Local cemeteries do a great job, Hays said, but the state and federal facilities would be a real option for many for many if they weren’t so far away. It’s 125 miles to Medical Lake and 225 miles to Kent.

Hays said meetings with businesses, officials and veterans groups gave them the confidence that the Tri-Cities not only needs a local option, but has the right mix of local enthusiasm and support for one.

Tri-Citians can learn more about plans for the next state cemetery at a public forum set for five days before Memorial Day.

David Puente Jr., director of the state Department of Veterans Affairs, and Solomon Gilbert, deputy director, will lead the session 10 am.-noon, May 22, at the West Richland Police Department, 7920 W. Van Giesen St. For information or to sign up, contact organizers at cemetery@dva.wa.gov.

46,000 veterans

Hays, who led the West Richland Chamber before being elected to the city council, said she is regularly moved by the emotional response from veterans to the idea that when they die the could be laid to rest close to family.

“I would love to be buried at home,” one man told her.

The Tri-Cities effort is in its infancy, but the need is clear, said Puente.

Federal data shows 46,000 U.S. military veterans live within a 75-mile radius of the Tri-Cities. Hays believes the figure may be higher.

The Tri-Cities cemetery would serve veterans and their relatives living in an area that extends from Moses Lake to Umatilla and from Walla Walla to Yakima.

“It’s so important. This would be life changing for so many veterans,” Hays said. “I’m really excited for the state VA to come down and present and to see the excitement in this region.”

When the time comes to make final arrangements, Tri-City veterans and their families face a difficult choice. Local cemeteries offer veterans sections, but can’t match the no/low cost services available at the state and federal ones. But distance renders impromptu visits to lay flowers or pay respects difficult.

“That drive to Medical Lake is a good drive, maybe too far for regular visits,” Fuentes said.

No site has been selected in the Tri-Cities, said Puente.

That said, supporters have nominated several possible locations, sparking rumors.

The process could take several years, he emphasized.

To start, the state needs at least 100 acres along with water rights and easy freeway access. The site should be serene enough for its somber purpose, removed from commercial and industrial activity. Hays said 180 acres would be ideal to ensure room for future expansion.

Even more ideal: The state would prefer if a supporter would donate land for the noble cause.

Community focus

A state veterans cemetery is more than a final resting spot for those whose remains are placed in graves, niches or scattered in designated areas of the property. It becomes a focal point for community events, including memorial celebrations that focus on military service.

“It’s important for us to do those kinds of things,” Puente said.

The Tri-Cities Veterans Cemetery effort follows a similar one used to establish the 120-acre cemetery at Medical Lake, which has expanded twice since it opened.

It is the final resting place for countless Tri-Citians.

In 2015, an honor guard escorted the unclaimed cremated remains of several dozen local veterans to Medical Lake so they could be laid to rest with the appropriate honors. Veterans of Foreign Wars groups continue to relay remains to Medical Lake for proper final respects.

The effort that led to a state cemetery in Medical Lake began in the early 2000s. DVA also wanted to develop a national cemetery in Eastern Washington to match Tahoma on the west side.

The national cemetery association demurred, so the state took it on, pursuing grants and other support to bring it to fruition.

The feds may not take the lead but the federal government underwrites the cost of state-run veterans cemeteries. The state would have to front about 10% of the unspecified cost, which would be reimbursed once it opens, Puente said.

Once open, the federal government would reimburse it, though the state veterans department retains responsibility for maintenance and operations.

Veterans cemeteries are subject to near constant review by the national cemetery association to keep up with changing preferences for burials versus other practices, including cremation.

“That is something we continually evaluate,” he said.

For more about the Medical Lake Cemetery, go to bit.ly/MedicalLakeCemetery

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