ROMULUS, N.Y. (WKBW) — A site in Seneca County, in the Finger Lakes region of the state, has been chosen for New York's first state veterans cemetery.
The announcement was made by Governor Andrew Cuomo Monday. Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery, which is located in Romulus at the site of the former Sampson Naval Training Station and Sampson Air Force Base was chosen by a nine-person site selection committee by an 8-0 vote, with one member absent.
The cemetery is a functioning veterans cemetery that operates in accordance with federal veterans cemetery standards. An initial 15 acres providing 6,000 grave sites has been developed, with a full 162-acre site that can accommodate more than 80,000 grave sites planned.
"We are forever indebted to the brave New Yorkers who served our nation in uniform and made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can continue to live freely and safely, and we will never forget their contributions to society," Governor Cuomo said. "Our promise has always been to establish a permanent monument to these heroes and provide their family members — and people from across the state—a place to visit and honor their memories, and this site selected in Romulus is the perfect location for a sacred, final resting place. It's an honor to establish the first state cemetery to honor homegrown heroes and I look forward to seeing the site open for New Yorkers and their families."
New York is one of only a few states that does not currently have a state veterans cemetery.
In November officials established the Western New York National Cemetery, the first and only of its kind in the Buffalo-Rochester area.
