Arkansas National Guard hands over land to State Veterans Cemetery

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MEDIA ALERT
Oct. 19, 2020
Contact: Lt. Col. Brian L. Mason
State Public Affairs Officer
Arkansas National Guard
501-212-5020 / 501-590-0318
ng.ar.ararng.mbx.daily-guard@mail.mil
Arkansas National Guard hands over land to State Veterans Cemetery
~ 141-acre transfer will increase current 82-acre site to 223 acres
WHO: The Arkansas National Guard
WHAT: Will ceremonially transfer 141 acres of land from Camp Joseph T. Robinson to the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs
WHEN: 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020. Media must be on site no later than 9:30 a.m. to ensure adequate time to walk from parking to the ceremony site. Media arriving by 9:10 a.m. will have time to obtain B-roll/photographs of Gov. Hutchinson receiving a tour of the cemetery grounds. The Governor will be available for questions after the ceremony.
WHERE: 1501 W. Maryland Ave., North Little Rock, Ark.
WHY: The Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the land transfer from the military to the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs for the purpose of expanding the size of the cemetery to inter veterans of all branches of the United States Armed Forces.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Maj. Gen. Kendall Penn, Arkansas’ adjutant general. “Our entire Congressional delegation worked hard to ensure our state’s veterans have a final resting place that befits their dedicated service to our state and nation.”
Originally opened in 2001, the 82-acre veterans cemetery near the North Little Rock airport has been steadily filling up since it opened. More than 9,800 remains of veterans are currently interred at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will preside over the ceremony. Other speakers include U.S. Rep. French Hill, retired Lt. Gen. Mark H. Berry, Arkansas’ 52nd adjutant general; retired Col. Nate Todd, Arkansas’ Department of Veterans Affairs secretary; and Bill Wussick, cemetery director.
The ceremony is closed to the public, but it will be live streamed on the Arkansas National Guard Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/arkansasnationalguard.
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