National Cemetery Administration
VA acquires land in Albuquerque for new National Cemetery
March 10, 2023
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced today that it has acquired 230 acres of land in Albuquerque, NM for the future replacement of the Santa Fe National Cemetery. The VA acquired the property from UP II, LLC, a New Mexico limited liability company for $2,840,706. The new land is located adjacent to the Petroglyph National Monument, due west of Albuquerque.
Santa Fe National Cemetery was established in 1875 and has served the Santa Fe / Albuquerque Veteran community for years. Nearly 70,000 veterans and eligible family members are interred there. Santa Fe National Cemetery is projected to run out of land for burials in the next 10 years. This new acquisition will allow VA to continue to provide burial services to our Veterans and their eligible family members for decades to come. There are roughly 81,000 veterans living within the 75-mile radius of the new site in Albuquerque.
VA operates 155 national cemeteries and 34 soldiers' lots and monument sites in 44 states and Puerto Rico. For Veterans not buried in a VA national cemetery, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. Information on VA burial benefits is available from local VA national cemetery offices, online at https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/ or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000. To make burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.
For more information on Santa Fe National Cemetery, contact acting cemetery director Victor Vasquez at 505-988-6400 or visit www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/SantaFe.asp.
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