Chattanooga National Cemetery will host a public wreath laying ceremony on Friday at the Memorial Circle of Honor as part of the World War II 70th Anniversary Commemorative Weekend sponsored by Chattanooga Area Veterans Council and in coordination with the “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive” organization. Wreaths will be laid to honor those members of the Greatest Generation who are interred at the cemetery. “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive” is an initiative that recognizes the achievements of the men and women who endured the Great Depression, fought and won World War II and then laid the foundations for a better world. Aug. 14, 1945 is recognized as the official end of WWII.
The Department of Veteran Affairs operates 131 national cemeteries, one national Veterans burial ground and 33 soldiers’ lots and monument sites in 40 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA’s national cemeteries. VA also provides funding to establish, expand, improve, and maintain 95 Veterans cemeteries in 45 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, and Saipan. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. In 2014, VA honored more than 356,000 Veterans and their loved ones with memorial benefits in national, state, tribal, and private cemeteries.
Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from local national cemetery offices, from the Internet at www.cem.va.gov, or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000. To make burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.