State gets $6.8 million to build veterans’ cemetery at former Fort Ord

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded the California Department of Veterans Affairs $6.8 million to begin constructing a veterans cemetery at the former Fort Ord.

The Central Coast Veterans Cemetery has been in the works for more than a decade, but the project has hit a number of stumbling blocks along the way.

Construction is expected to begin either late this year or early next year. Phase 1 of the project will develop 17 acres of the site, including construction of a main entrance, roads, an assembly area, landscaping, a memorial walkway, and supporting infrastructure.

The cemetery is expected to serve more than 100,000 veterans and their families living within Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo counties.

CalVet currently operates two State Veterans cemetery, the Yountville Veterans Cemetery in Napa County and the Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Shasta County.

For more information about the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery project, click here.