West Virginia National Cemetery
West Virginia National Cemetery | |
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![]() Sunrise at West Virginia National Cemetery | |
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Details | |
Location | |
Type | United States National cemetery |
Size | 89.7 acres (36.3 ha) |
West Virginia National Cemetery is a
History
By the 1960s the small, 3-acre (1.2 ha) Grafton National Cemetery had limited free space for new burials. A 1975 study of the cemetery determined that the remaining unused space was either too steep or too costly to use. West Virginia veteran groups such as the West Virginia United Veterans National Cemetery Committee campaigned state and federal government officials for a new national cemetery.[1]
Negotiations between the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the state resulted in the selection of a 58-acre (23 ha) site that was part of the West Virginia Industrial Home for Boys. Construction was delayed by work negotiations and poor weather conditions. A dedication ceremony took place on September 28, 1987 and the cemetery was opened for interments the next day, even though construction was incomplete.[1]
The cemetery contains the Industrial School for Boys monument, a granite memorial erected in 1992 in memory of the residents of the West Virginia Industrial School for Boys who were buried at the cemetery between 1890 and 1939.[1]
In 2010, the remains of
Notable burials
- Frank Gatski (1921–2005) – United States Army Private First Class in World War II and Hall of Fame professional football player
- Roy Earl Parrish (1888–1918) – West Virginia state senator and United States Army second lieutenant in World War I (cenotaph)[3]
References
- ^ a b c "West Virginia National Cemetery". United States Department of Veteran Affairs. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
- ^ "World War II soldier to be buried in W. Va. cemetery after 66 years". Times West Virginian. Associated Press. October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
- ^ "West Virginia Veterans Memorial - Roy Earl Parrish". West Virginia Archives and History. Retrieved 2023-07-20.