The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) dedicated the Phase II expansion of the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort on March 26.

The expansion adds 2,762 pre-placed vault sites (casket sites), 960 columbarium niches (above-ground urn sites), and a memorial wall that includes 100 sites. It also provides an update to roadways, storm drainage, irrigation, and other expansion infrastructure.

“We are proud to complete this expansion project and celebrate this moment for Alabama’s Veterans with the community,” ADVA Commissioner Kent Davis said. “We always say our department serves this great state’s Veterans from the moment they take off their uniform through eternity. The Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery is a true testament to that statement and we look forward to continue delivering on that promise.”

The expansion was funded thanks to a $5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Cemetery Grants Program. This was the first of nine planned expansions for the facility, which will actively serve Alabama Veterans with interments for a total of 100 years.