There are more than 16,000 World War I veterans and more than 1,000 Spanish-American War veterans who have the average of more than 67 years as of December 1961. More than 60 percent of those are married and have families. Eighty-two percent are in the low-income brackets of $3,000 and under; 49 percent of those are in income brackets under $2,000. We in Arizona feel that the thousands of veterans that left this State to serve in time of emergencies and wars and the many thousands who have adopted our State after World War I and World War II wish to be buried in the western part of the United States where they have their loved ones and families and where they have built a home for their families and have established friends that can see that the families obtain every advantage so that they may survive and maintain subsistence after they have been laid away in their last resting place. We submit this information and data for your consideration in doing the deliberations on H.R. 3682, 87th Congress. We only ask that you consider the vast distance between the veterans who are entitled to be buried in a cemetery along with the other national heroes and the places where our national cemeteries are located and the undue hardships that it places on the veteran's loved ones in places when he has to be buried in another cemetery in another State and has to be moved from his place of abode and his family's legal place of residence. By order of Department Commander. BYRON C. DEVINE, Department Adjutant, Quartermaster. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES, DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA, Hon. J. T. RUTHERFORD, DEAR CHAIRMAN RUTHERFORD: Attached you will find six mandates of the Department of California, Veterans of Foreign Wars, regarding national cemeteries. Due to the constant migration of veterans to the State of California, there is an ever increasing need for additional burial grounds. It is to be noted that each one of these resolutions mandating this department has reference to converting land already under control of the U.S. Government. We urge favorable action by your committee to the ultimate end that additional national cemeteries be established in California. Sincerely, ORVILLE LOFTON, State Commander. By ALVA J. FLEMING, Acting Adjutant. RESOLUTION TRANSFER OF PROPERTY TO GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL CEMETERY Whereas the Golden Gate National Cemetery is rapidly filling the spaces at the present rate of 32 interments daily; and Whereas the veterans of California are entitled to burial space as their years decline; and Whereas the Department of the Navy has announced 55 acres bordering the Golden Gate National Cemetery is surplus: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Department of California, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States recommend the transfer of the 55 acres to General Services to be added to the Golden Gate National Cemetery; and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be forwarded to all California Congressmen, U.S. Senator Claire Engle and U.S. Senator Thomas Kuchel. L. G. "OKIE" TAGGART, Past Department Commander. 81130-62-9 FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION, DEPARTMENT OF CALIFORNIA, VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES RESOLUTION NO. 93 Whereas the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, Point Loma, San Diego, Calif., was established as a national cemetery in 1934, with 70 acres allotted and under the supervision of the Memorial Division, Office of the Quartermaster General, Department of the Army; and Whereas up to January 1, 1961, 51 acres have been developed and plotted for gravesites with 19 acres remaining undeveloped; and Whereas up to March 1, 1961, there have been interred in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery approximately 19,500 eligible veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and/or their eligible dependents; and it is expected that all available space for future interments will be used by 1963; and that the total acreage will be completely developed by 1967 or 1968; and Whereas there is no other national cemetery in southern California now available for veterans and/or their dependents' interments, and at present there are approximately 15 interments per working day, the space available for future interments is becoming extremely critical; and Whereas it is and will continue to be traditionally proper to provide a fitting memorial cemetery for the interment of deceased veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States and/or their eligible dependents, as is evidenced by these national cemeteries now in existence; and Whereas in 1945, the Office of the Quartermaster General, Department of the Army, recommended to the then Congress, that a new national cemetery of a 500,000-gravesite capacity be established in the San Diego area, and if and when legislation is enacted steps will be taken toward selecting a site and acquiring necessary property on which to establish a national cemetery: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the San Diego County Council, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, composed of 42 posts and auxiliaries within San Diego County, in regular meeting assembled on July 26, 1961, in O. K. Ingram Ship No. 1774 Hall, 1035 19th Street, San Diego, Calif., do hereby recommend that a 50,000gravesite-capacity national cemetery be established on U.S. Government owned property at former Camp Eliott Naval Reservation, now declared excess to the General Services Administration; and be it further Resolved, That this national cemetery be established within the "buffer zone" acreage currently being acquired by the U.S. Air Force from the General Services Administration; and be it further Resolved, That the selection of this national cemetery within this "buffer zone," it is believed, would not have any detrimental effect on the economy of San Diego, either for residential or industrial purposes; and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to all congressional Representatives from the 28th, 29th, and 30th Districts of California; to all members of the California Legislature in San Diego, Orange, and Imperial counties for their information and action. RESOLUTION NO. 36.-SEEKS NATIONAL CEMETERY AT FORMER PARKS AIR FORCE BASE Whereas the Department of Defense has declared the property of the former Air Force base near Livermore, Calif., as surplus and has put part of it up for sale, Whereas this former Air Force base is near the center of population for northern California and the Quartermasters Corps have designated 1,400 acres as a likely site for a future national cemetery, Whereas the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, Calif., will have all of its burial space full within the next 3 years: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That this 41st Convention of the Department of California, Veterans of Foreign Wars, go on record in favor of making the remaining property at the Parks Air Force Base a national cemetery; and be it further Resolved, That all California Senators and Representatives be notified of the position taken on this property by this convention. CALIFORNIA RESOLUTION NO. NINE, 1961-SEEKS NATIONAL CEMETERY IN 12TH CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Whereas there is no national military cemetery in the 12th Congressional District (Merced, Madera, and Fresno Counties, Calif.), and the closest one is at San Bruno and it is about filled with bodies of veterans and their widows, plus minor children, from all the wars the United States has engaged in; and Whereas there is a county military cemetery in Fresno and it is nearly filled to capacity and at this time the board of supervisors for Fresno County refuses to buy additional land for military cemetery purpose; and Whereas a large amount of veterans and widows buried in Liberty Cemetery lived in another county other than Fresno; and Whereas there is a Veterans' Administration Hospital in Fresno; and Whereas the cost of land in the 12th Congressional District would be less than in northern or southern California; and Whereas no effort has been made to replace Golden Gate National Cemetery at San Bruno, Calif., or provide a national military cemetery in southern California: Therefore be it Resolved, That the Eleventh District Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California, ask Congressman B. F. Sisk to ask the Department of the Army to investigate the possibilities of a national military cemetery in the 12th Congressional District of California and ask that a bill be introduced at the next session of Congress for this cemetery; be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to Department of California, Veterans of Foreign Wars, for approval, and then sent to VFW national headquarters for necessary action to see that the request is carried out. Passed August 14, 1960, Kearney Park, Fresno, Calif. RESOLUTION Whereas the national cemeteries serving central and northern California, located at the San Francisco Presidio, and Golden Gate at San Bruno, are becoming filled; and due to the surrounding metropolitan area, this existing cemetery cannot be expanded except by the condemnation of highly improved real estate, which would be financially unsound; and Whereas it has been proven by experience that sooner or later it becomes necessary to move cemeteries in or near metropolitan areas, especially filled cemeteries, in order to make room for other essential metropolitan facilities; and Whereas it would be obviously undesirable to locate the needed new national cemetery even near a metropolitan area where the direction to be taken by future expansion is unpredictable; Whereas the increasing demand for space in northern and central California's national cemetery which is created by the huge and continuing influx of people into this State will require a presently large new cemetery so situated to assure future needed expansion; and Whereas a low-cost site, in keeping with the dignity of our departed comrades, is an essential consideration in these troubled times; and Whereas the Federal Government now has title to a sizable reservation in the vicinity of Marysville, Calif., known as Beale Air Force Base, where several cemetery sites meeting these stated qualifications could be designated without reducing the value of this reservation for other planned purposes; and Whereas this proposed site is pretty well centrally located between other national cemeteries serving the Pacific Coast on national scale: Be it therefore Resolved by the Department of California, Veterans of Foreign Wars, That the needed new cemetery serving this area be located at Beale Air Force Base, and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and each member of the California congressional delegation. Approved by and resubmitted from the 39th department convention. RESOLUTION-NATIONAL CEMETERY Whereas California has over 2 million veterans whose numbers are increasing daily; and Whereas the majority of these veterans are living in southern California, especially the Los Angeles area; and Whereas the national cemetery located at Fort Rosecrans in San Diego is limited in available space; and Whereas there is a definite need for a national cemetery for the over 1 million veterans in Los Angeles area: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the Department of California, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that every effort be made to have established as soon as practicable a national cemetery in the Los Angeles metropolitan area for our honored dead; and be it further Resolved, that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the 60th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and to each member of our California congressional delegation. Approved by and resubmitted from the 39th department convention. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS, OF THE UNITED STATES, DEPARTMENT OF NEW MEXICO, Santa Fe, N. Mex., January 23, 1962. Hon. J. T. RUTHERFORD, DEAR SIR: I have been informed that House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee will conduct hearings during the week of March 5-9 on the present adequacy of national cemeteries. Inasmuch as you are the chairman of the subcommitte having jurisdiction over national parks and cemeteries, it is requested that the statement below be included in the records of the scheduled hearing, since this department will be unable to have a representative present. The attached resolution, presented and passed at the 28th Annual Convention of the Department of New Mexico, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, convened in Las Vegas, N. Mex., June 18, 1961, does present a true picture of the needs of additional cemetery facilities in the State of New Mexico; and further, that the statements as to the conditions of the VA cemetery at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., were true at the time of the presentation. It should be mentioned that national cemetery facilities are not available to the veteran residents of the State of New Mexico, except at Santa Fe National Cemetery, a great distance from the Fort Bayard location. It is felt that the designation of the cemetery at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., as a national cemetery, would better serve (1) the entire southern portion of the State; (2) a national cemetery would be assured of proper upkeep and care as the last resting place of members of the Armed Forces of the United States, should be. Hoping that your committee will favorably recommend that the Fort Bayard VA Cemetery will be designated a national cemetery, I am, with kindest personal regards, Sincerely, RESOLUTION 21 EDWARD A. ALLEN, Commander. Whereas the cemetery located at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., is the only Government cemetery located in the southern part of the State of New Mexico; and Whereas the cemetery located at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., is the final resting place of hundreds of honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States of America; and Whereas this cemetery has a most historical background, dating back to the beginning of the Indian wars of the Southwest; and Whereas the cemetery at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., does not have one piece of greenery—i.e., grass, shubs, trees, or landscaping of any kind—and is neglected to the point of disgrace as a final resting place of the members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America; and Whereas only those veterans who pass away in the Veterans' Administration Hospital located at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., may be buried within the confines of this cemetery; and Whereas if a veteran is to be laid to rest within the State of New Mexico, such must be done in the only national cemetery within the State of New Mexico, located in Santa Fe, N. Mex., the northern part of the State; and Whereas the Santa Fe National Cemetery is becoming crowded and has little room for expansion: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the members of the Department of New Mexico, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, convened in convention in Las Vegas, N. Mex., June 14, 1961, do hereby recommend and request that immediate steps be taken by the national headquarters of the Veterans of Foreign_Wars of the United States, to have the aforementioned cemetery located at Fort Bayard, N. Mex., designated and declared a national cemetery. Respectfully submitted to the 28th Annual Department Convention of the Department of New Mexico, VFW, assembled at Las Vegas, N. Mex., June 14–18, 1961. Hon. MAURINE NEUBERGER, EDWARD A. ALLEN, Department Commander. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR MADAM SENATOR: The purpose of this letter is to express our gratitude for your interest in the proper use of Willamette National Cemetery and to advise you further as to certain facts and our views relative thereto. As you know, this cemetery was activated during February 1951 and has been in constant use since that time. As of February 21, 1962, there have been a total of 9,474 bodies interred there, which number includes both veterans and their dependents. In addition, there are 4,323 graves presently reserved for living relatives of those interred. Approximately 80 percent of those presently being interred are from the State of Oregon. The present tract is 201 acres and, allowing for roads, buildings, and other installations, there are about 800 graves available per acre. At present, only 34 acres of this tract is developed. With 13,797 used or reserved, this leaves 13,403 presently available and 167 acres still to develop, which will accommodate 133,600, or a total potential of 147,003 unused graves. In addition, it is to be noted that the ground immediately north of the cemetery, on the downhill side of the mountain and facing Lents district of suburban Portland, is building up in apartment houses and other buildings. On the immediate west is 112th Avenue, on the western side of which is Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, and on the south side Lincoln Memorial Cemetery extends to a point about even with the south gate to Willamette National. The land along the entire east side of Willamette National is farm and scrub-timber land for several miles east, and it is therefore presumed that it could be purchased for a reasonable price, if needed. There are now living in Oregon approximately 253,000 veterans of all wars. Assuming that the percentage of interments from Oregon as compared to those from outside the State continues, there would be available to Oregon veterans 80 percent of 147,003, or 117,603 graves. Since February 1951 there have been over 18,000 veteran deaths in Oregon, with only approximately 7,500 interments, including some whose wives have been interred with them, and 3,500 reservations for future use. Therefore it should not be anticipated that more than 65 percent of living veterans will ever utilize this cemetery, which makes it quite apparent that there is plenty of space available for side-by-side interment. Further, the burying of one on top of the other is causing very considerable additional expense and great difficulty because of the terrain and composition of the soil. It appears that they most frequently strike water at just about a 6-foot depth. For this new procedure they have to dig the grave 7 feet deep, and it caves in more frequently than it stands up, causing extra overtime work to prepare a grave, as well as causing a lot of discomfort to any bereaved relatives who hear about it. |