Letter to Secretary Anthony J. Principi and General John W. "Jack" Nicholson

November 14, 2003

Secretary Anthony J. Principi
US Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

Brigadier General John W. "Jack" Nicholson (Ret.)
Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
National Cemetery Administration
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Principi and General Nicholson,

I am writing to express concern over the increasing need for and the severe shortage of burial plots in federal Veterans Cemeteries in close driving distance from Staten Island. The borough's unique geographical location means that approximately half of Staten Island falls in an area eligible for a new federal Veterans Cemetery under federal regulations - and half does not. As such, I am asking for an accommodation or ruling that Staten Island be considered a single geographical area outside an area served by current national cemeteries. Such stipulation would let Veteran leaders from across the borough begin the planning process for a new national cemetery on or near the Island.

Under US Veteran Administration regulations, new National Cemeteries can be established if there is a concentration of Veterans who are not currently served by a burial option within 75 miles of their residence. In southern New York and northern New Jersey, there is only one federal Veterans Cemetery that is currently accepting burials - Calverton National Cemetery on the far East End of Long Island. While Calverton National Cemetery is within the 75-mile range for North Shore communities like Todt Hill, it is out of the 75-mile range for South Shore neighborhoods like Pleasant Plains. This accident of geography has stymied local efforts to begin planning for a new National Cemetery on Staten Island or in close driving distance in New York or New Jersey.

While there are a few Federal Cemeteries that are closer to Staten Island, none of them are currently accepting anything other than cremated remains for burial. The only exception to this rule is that families can elect to inter a Veteran's coffin in the same spot that is already occupied by a family member. Our country owes every veteran a dignified burial where his or her family can easily visit the grave, not an arrangement that insists on shared gravesites.

Staten Island Veterans today do without appropriate burial options from the government they served. Designating Staten Island as a single geographical area outside the area served by current national cemeteries will allow us to begin addressing this matter. I look forward to working with your offices on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator