Veterans Cemetery Grants Service 1

VCGS Compliance Review Program

Josh de Leon, VCGS DirectorJohn Gardner, Program Specialist

March xx, 2013

VA National Cemeteriesin Indian Country

Mr. George D. Eisenbach, Jr.Acting DirectorVeterans Cemetery Grants Service

June 6, 2013

Agenda

• Caring for our History

• Serving Veterans and Families-Benefits and Eligibility-Cemeteries in Indian Country

• Improving Cultural Competency-Diversity/Special Emphasis Programs-Emerging Burial Needs Study

• Q &A

Caring for our History

Navajo code talker Roy Hawthorne stands next to the code talker monument unveiled March 21, 2013 at Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico

(Photo credit: Eddie Moore/ABQ Journal)

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Serving Veterans and Families: Our Responsibilities

• Provide burial space for Veterans and eligible family members, and maintain national cemeteries as national shrines

• Administer the Federal grants program for construction of State and Tribal Veterans cemeteries

• Furnish headstones, markers and medallions for the graves of Veterans around the world

• Administer the Presidential Memorial Certificate program

• Administer the First Notice of Death program

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Serving Veterans and Families: Burial Benefits

• Gravesite• Opening and closing of the grave• Grave liner• Perpetual care of the gravesite• Headstone, marker or medallion• U.S. Flag• Presidential Memorial Certificate

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Headstones, Markers and Medallions

“In Memory of…”

Upright Headstone

Niche Covers

Flat Marker

Medallion

Emblems of BeliefMedicine Wheel (left); Native American Church of North America (below); Four Directions (bottom right)

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Presidential Memorial Certificates

•For active duty and honorably discharged Veterans

•Inscribed with the deceased’s name

• Bears the President’s signature

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Serving Veterans and Families: Eligibility Criteria

• Any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who dieson active duty

• Any Veteran who was discharged under qualifying conditions (other than dishonorable)

• National Guard members and Reservists with 20 years ofqualifying service, who are entitled to retired pay

• Spouses and minor children

• Certain eligible parents (Corey Shea Act)

National Cemeteries in Indian Country

Fort Richardson National Cemetery,Anchorage, Alaska

Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Oklahoma

National Cemeteries in Indian Country

Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington

National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, Phoenix

National Cemeteries in Indian Country

Santa Fe National Cemetery, New Mexico

Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas

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National Cemeteries in Indian Country

MT

IDWY

NVUT

ND

WIME

National Veterans Burial Grounds/Rural Initiative

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

• Tribal Government grants

- Law enacted December 2006 Made tribal organizations eligible for cemetery

establishment grants on tribal trust lands

-First grants awarded in 20114 awarded to-date; 5 on FY13 priority list

-Awarded annually, in same manner as states

-Opportunity to serve additional Veterans

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country• Tribal Veterans cemeteries aim to honor tribal

customs and traditions, such as:

– Use of tribal symbols

– Longer committal services

– Graveside burials

– Areas to tie-up horses

– Areas for traditional burials

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

First Operational VA-funded Tribal Veterans CemeteryMonte Calvario Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona

Pascua Yaqui TribeDedicated Veterans Day, 2011

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Grant Award and Groundbreaking CeremonySicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)

Near Mission, South DakotaRosebud Sioux TribeSeptember 19, 2011

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2013Sicangu Akicita Owicahe (Veterans Cemetery)

Rosebud Sioux Tribe

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2013Tribal Veterans Cemetery

Humboldt County, CaliforniaYurok Tribe

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

Under Construction; Projected Opening FY2014Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery

Pine Ridge, South DakotaOglala Sioux Tribe

Tribal Cemeteries in Indian Country

• Tribal grants on 2013 Priority List:

-Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, Wewoka, Oklahoma

-Big Sandy Rancheria, Auberry, California

-Navajo Nation, Chinle, Arizona

-Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Pawnee, Oklahoma

-Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, Fallon, Nevada

-Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, Tuolumne, Calif.

Residency vs. Tribal Requirements• National cemeteries allow all eligible veterans to

be interred at national cemeteries

• States have the option to have a residency requirement as an additional eligibility requirement for their cemeteries -e.g., Must have lived in state for 2 years

• Tribal governments may add tribal requirements-e.g., Any Sioux Veteran may be interred

• Joshua de Leon, Directorjoshua.deleon@va.gov (202) 632-7369

• Howard Orr, Project Managerhoward.orr@va.gov(202) 632-7203

• Tom Paquelet, Project Managerthomas.paquelet@va.gov(202) 632-7202

• John Gardner, Program Specialistjohn.gardner3@va.gov(202) 632-8001

Veterans Cemetery Grants Service Contact List

Improving Cultural Competency• NCA Executive Diversity Council/Special

Emphasis Program Advisory Committee-Strategic plan objective; stood up January 2013-Establish and champion diversity -Promote Federal workplace as model of cultural

competency

DC-area members of NCA’s Executive

Diversity Council attend training

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• Veterans serving Veterans

-Over 74% of NCA employees are Vets

-Highest % in any Federal agency

-Includes 400+ returning Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan

Improving Cultural CompetencyNational Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

Southwest Asia Service Medal

Kosovo Campaign Medal

Afghanistan Campaign Medal

Iraq Campaign Medal

Global War on Terrorism Exp. Medal

Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

Korea Defense Service Medal

Armed Forces Service Medal

Humanitarian Service Medal

Improving Cultural Competency• Increasing workforce representation of

American Indians/Alaska Natives in NCA-Doubled from FY2010-2012-Still underrepresented, though

• Longstanding relationships with SAIGE, American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Minority Access, Inc. to assist with AI/AN recruitment and retention

Improving Cultural Competency

• Outreach, FY12 and 13-National Congress of American Indians Annual National Convention-Gathering of Nations Pow Wow, Indian Trader's Market-SAIGE Annual Training Conference

• American Indian representation on Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials

Improving Cultural Competency•Emerging Burial Needs Study

-Identify emerging burial trends

-Identify Veteran preferences

-Ensure burial needs of Veterans and families are met

Natural Burial AreaCourtesy Natural Burial Co-operative

Partners in Honoring Our Fallen Warriors

Native American Honor Guard, Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, South Dakota