YORK COUNTY, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – York County is continuing to find a way to honor those who have served in the armed forces. Now, a new opportunity appears to be on the horizon. York County Veterans Affairs is in the process of working to apply for a state funded veterans cemetery here in York County.
York County is competing against South Carolina’s other 45 counties to bring a state funded veterans cemetery to the area. With two veterans parks in the county one in York and the other here at Glencairn Gardens veterans reflects on why these spaces are important.
Donald Cameron, an Air Force and Army Veteran, says, “Oh my God, veterans are the ones who they are the reason we can do what we want to here.”
With funeral cost on the rise York County leaders saying this state funded cemetery would provide for veterans who’ve fought for this country and their families.
York County Veterans Affairs Director, Melinda Woodhurst, says, “A state funded cemetery give the veteran the opportunity to be interred without cost. And if they’re locally to York County, the travel distance to the states that are in the cemetery becomes a non-issue so they can come as often as they want.”
Leaders say that there are more than 28,000 in York County and the closest state funded veterans cemetery in North Carolina are in Asheville and Salisbury and in South Carolina, it’s in Anderson. Leaders say it’s important that veterans feel that they have a place of their own, here at home.
“We have until August to pull together the requirements for an application the first in critical in your criteria is that we have 60, no less than 60 acres of donated land….So, if we can get the donated land than qualified to submit an application,” says Woodhurst.
Leaders sharing that veterans help add to the county’s economy and says should have a place to honor loved ones.
Boyd Comer, Commander of Sons of the American Legion Post 34, saying, “A lot of these veterans moved here they brought their families with them. They impact our school, the economy…if they were to leave our community can you imagine what an impact that would have on York County? It be devastating.”
Keith Johanson, President of Rolling Thunder Chapter 1 SC, says, “Right now if you’re a veteran and you go to a veteran cemetery, you’re gonna have to travel to Columbia Anderson or Salisbury and that’s a long way that makes it a trip. Whereas with all the thousands of veterans that we have here we can just have our loved ones come by and sit down and visit and do it more often casually.”
“Patriotism is why we exist. There’s many, many people that have lost their lives for the freedoms that we enjoy today and if we don’t continue to teach that to generations after us then it will be lost. It will be lost,” says Woodhurst.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with veterans about the application process and what it would mean to veterans and their families.
