Washington – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Vic Snyder (AR-02) today announced that national cemeteries in Fort Smith, Fayetteville and Little Rock will receive a total of $2,254,693 in Recovery Act funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to do repair work on gravesites, purchase equipment and support additional projects. The graves of veterans, military personnel and their spouses are located at national cemeteries.
Fort Smith National Cemetery will use $2,069,611 of its funds to raise and realign headstones and repair about 12,000 gravesites throughout the cemetery. In addition, $2,212 will go toward the purchase of lawn mowing equipment.
Fayetteville National Cemetery will use $92,829 of its funds to reseal its roads, $16,415 to paint buildings, and $18,626 to purchase lawn mowing equipment.
Little Rock National Cemetery will use $36,250 of its funds to renovate the Minnesota Monument, which was unveiled in 1916 and is dedicated to 162 Minnesota soldiers who were killed in Arkansas during the Civil War. In addition, the cemetery will use $18,750 to paint its administration and maintenance buildings.
“I am pleased that the Recovery Act is helping support work in Arkansas’s cemeteries that honor the lives of the veterans who have bravely served our country,” Lincoln said. “I am committed to doing everything I can to honor Arkansas’s veterans and will continue working to secure funds that benefit our veterans, servicemembers and their families.”
“We must take care of our soldiers before, during and after combat. This commitment includes making sure their final resting place is well-maintained and respected,” Pryor said.
“We must ensure that people learn about our nation’s Civil War history and acknowledge the sacrifices of these soldiers,” Snyder said. “In anticipation of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War next year, this funding to renovate the Minnesota Civil War monument is coming at the perfect time to bring attention to this marker of American history.”
