The VA announced the purchase of six acres of land near the town cemetary to be a national cemetary for veterans in this region.
Town of Cassian treasurer Denny Thompson said they noticed an announcement in a paper soliciting land for a new VA cemetary. He says the town approached the VA. A contingent from the VA toured the six-acre site then began a long process of study...
"....over several years they had done appraisals, archeological, environmental studies, soil borings, other kinds of assessments according to their protocol...."
He says Oneida County officials also helped with zoning and other issues. They sold plot on Lakewood Road across from the town cemetary for $24.000.
Thompson says this cemetary was part of the VA's effort to get more services into areas like northern Wisconsin....
".....it was part of a rural initiative that the VA had entered into to try to get facilities for veterans in more remote areas. I think the nearest national cemetary is at Fort Snelling in Minnesota....:"
The cemetary is expected to serve 24,000 honorably discharged veterans and their families.
