Kaneohe veterans cemetery gets $1.9M

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jul 16, 2010

The Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe is receiving more than $1.9 million in federal grant money to reimburse the state for completed projects, including construction of 2,036 columbarium niches, officials said.

The grant was announced yesterday by U.S. Sens. Daniel Akaka, chairman of the veterans' affairs committee, and Daniel Inouye, chairman of the Appropriations Committee. Both are Hawaii Democrats.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding the grant.

The Kaneohe veterans cemetery is owned and operated by the state, along with cemeteries in Hilo and Kona, and on Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

The state paid for the projects in Kaneohe, including the addition of the niches for ashes, and the federal grant reimburses that cost, officials said.

Mark Moses, director of the state Office of Veteran Services, said other improvements are being pursued, including an additional restroom and a room for families to grieve in private after the loss of a loved one.

Hawaii is expected to receive more than $500 million in total VA funding this fiscal year, officials said.