ETX Veterans Initiative to Establish a Veterans National Cemetery in ETX
Establishing a Veterans Cemetery Brochure
ETX Veterans Initiative to Establish a Veterans National Cemetery in ETX
August 14th Veterans Committee, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce
Welcomes All ETX Veterans
August 7, 2024 [TYLER, TX] —- East Texas [ETX] is home to the largest population of Texas
Veterans who live more than 75 miles from the nearest National or State Veterans cemetery.
Establishing a National State Veterans Cemetery for Veterans in East Texas for the benefit of
the Veterans and their loved ones is a topic that will be hosted by the Veterans Committee of
the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, that and will be addressed on August 14th at the Tyler
Chamber of Commerce, from 2-3 pm, led by Dr. John Kelley, ret. Lt. Col.,U.S. Army, Director of
Texas State Veterans Cemeteries, Veterans Land Board, and who will speak on
both the national and state requirements.
The ETX State Veterans Cemetery initiative, spearheaded by two Tyler
Veterans, Jim Snow, ret. U.S. Army Lt. Col and Steve Lowe, ret. U.S. Army Vietnam War, Texas Veterans Land Board [TVLB] volunteer, request the attendance and participation of all ETX Veterans, to discuss the need to build a State Veterans Cemetery in ETX for the benefit of ETX
Veterans and their loved ones, that would allow the loved ones of the Veterans to bury their
Veteran much closer to their home.
“Texas State Veterans Cemeteries are hallowed grounds where we provide a final
resting place for our eligible Veterans and their families in gratitude for their service to our
nation,” said Dr. Kelley, ret. Lt. Col.,U.S. Army. “In ETX, there are a large number of Veterans
who find that the drive to the Dallas National Cemetery is simply too long and inconvenient for
family visitation. As such, we aspire to provide the Veterans’ burial benefit in east Texas in the
form of a Texas State Veterans Cemetery where Veterans and their families can commune with
their loved ones in a sacred and beautiful setting.”
Lowe said, “Currently, there are four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries, in
Killeen, Corpus Christi, Mission, Abilene, and a new one under construction in Lubbock. In
addition, there are five VA National Cemeteries in Dallas, San Antonio [2], Houston, and El
Paso. As you can see it’s well over 100 miles to any Veteran cemetery for many East Texas
Veterans. Texas State Veterans Cemetery burials are a benefit earned by Veterans, their
spouses, and eligible dependents for their dedicated service to our country. There is no charge
for the interment of Veterans, their spouses, and eligible dependents.”
One of the primary missions of the TVLB is providing designated resting places in State
Veterans Cemeteries, close to home, where friends, family, and fellow Texas Veterans
can honor our Texas Veterans, Lowe added.
Snow is a member of the Tyler Mayor’s Veteran and Community Roundtable, Tyler
Area Chamber of Commerce Veterans Committee, ETX Veterans Community Council Tyler, co-
founder of Communities Assisting Military Personnel and Veterans [CAMP V] Tyler, board
member of ETX Chapter Red Cross. ETX Connects and American Red Cross-ETX Chapter,
president, Rose Capital Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA),
member MOAA’s Texas Council of Chapters, and board member of ETX American Red Cross
Chapter.
The August 14th meeting will be held from 2-3 pm at the Tyler Chamber of Commerce
Genecov Room 315 Broadway Ave, Suite 100. For more information, please contact Steve
Lowe or Jim Snow at the contact information noted above. Please also reference the attached
brochure by the Texas Veterans Land Board. National Veterans Cemetery Association.
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