NOVEMBER 7, 2018 (ALLIANCE, NEB.) — The Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Alliance (NVCA) recently completed its compliance survey with the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). It received a total score of 96%, with 100% scores in four of the five inspection categories, ranking it in the top 3-5% of cemeteries inspected in the country this year.
"It’s no surprise our cemetery scored so well. We have an incredible team in place and I’ve seen their dedication and attention to detail firsthand over the past seven years,” said Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs (NDVA) Director John Hilgert. "From the cemetery grounds to the interment services, everything is held to an extremely high standard.”
The NCA administers compliance surveys in all state and tribal veteran cemeteries that receive federal funding for construction, ongoing support, and improvement or expansion. These surveys are completed every 3-5 years, and this is NVCA’s first survey since opening. The assessment criteria covers interment operations; grounds maintenance; headstone, marker and cremation niche cover; equipment maintenance; and other standards. The NCA provided the cemetery with a list of "opportunities for improvement” which teammates at NVCA have already started working on.
"Nothing inspires me more than when I reflect on the sacrifices made by the men and women who are at rest on these grounds. Observing my staff commit themselves to improving on a 96% score, because the veterans deserve it, comes in at a close second,” said NVCA Administrator Allen Pannell.
Since opening and completing its first interment on January 21, 2011, NVCA has interred over 300 service members and eligible family members. In addition, NVCA has worked with nearly 500 additional families to complete pre-planning interviews and confirm their eligibility.
Eligibility includes active duty service members killed while on active duty, certain veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, spouses and minor children of eligible veterans, and many more. Nebraska recognizes the contributions of all veterans and chooses not to disqualify veterans who have retired or relocated to other states. For full eligibility information, please contact the cemetery.
NVCA provides cremation or casket burials, memorial services, military funeral honors, pre-planning counseling, memorial graves, perpetual care, and administrative services at no cost for those eligible to be interred in the cemetery.
The cemetery is open for visitation from dawn to dusk every day, with administrative hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except on state holidays. To learn more about the cemetery or see if you or a loved one is eligible for interment, please contact the cemetery at 308-763-2958 or toll free at 877-420-7990.
Survey Results CLICK HERE
