It’s official: Cedar City’s new VA cemetery to be named Southern Utah National Cemetery

Written by Jeff Richards
August 1, 2024

CEDAR CITY — The new U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cemetery being constructed in the city will officially be known as the Southern Utah National Cemetery.

Roderick “Tony” Thomas director of the VA’s Fort Logan National Cemetery Complex, talks about architectural rendering of the Southern Utah National Cemetery, Cedar City, Utah, July 16, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The name was announced publicly via a VA news release on Monday. The cemetery is scheduled to open sometime in the late summer or fall of 2025, officials said.

“We are pleased to expand burial access for Veterans in the Southern Utah region and provide them with a final resting place in honor of their service to our nation,” Ronald Walters, the National Cemetery Administration’s acting undersecretary for Memorial Affairs, said in the news release.

The cemetery is located on an 8-acre site at 2181 W. 1600 South, on a hill that overlooks Cedar City from the south. 

“This site is just beautiful and it’s going to be an asset to this community,” said Roderick “Tony” Thomas, director of the VA’s Fort Logan National Cemetery Complex, as he led local veterans and other community members on a tour of the site on July 16.

Officials discuss U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Southern Utah National Cemetery project during an on-site tour, Cedar City, Utah, July 16, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

“When you talk about the value that this location brings, you’ve got to think about when these families come here to visit their loved ones and reflect on their service and their life and the time they spend with their loved one,” Thomas said during the tour. “Being able to sit on a bench out here and look at that mountain, to me, is just a blessing.”

As previously reported, the new facility, which will provide burial/memorial access to nearly 15,000 veterans throughout Southern Utah, is one of eight new national cemeteries commissioned as part of the VA’s new Rural Initiative. The most recent project was the Cheyenne National Cemetery in Wyoming, dedicated in 2020.

Approximately 50 people attended informational public meetings about the Southern Utah National Cemetery project, Cedar City, Utah, July 16, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The Southern Utah National Cemetery’s first phase is scheduled to include nearly 1,500 pre-placed burial crypts on 5 acres, plus room for another 1,600 spots for cremated remains (800 of them buried in-ground and the other half to be encased in above-ground columbaria).

Approximately 50 people attended the July 16 public information meetings in Cedar City and listened to presentations and comments from Thomas, assistant director Chrissy Dixon, construction project manager Dimasalang “DJ” Junio and other officials and engineers involved with the project.

The sessions covered a variety of topics, including how to check for eligibility, how to pre-register, grave marker specifications and the types of memorials and services available. 

For more information, visit the National Cemetery Administration’s website or call toll-free 800-535-1117.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons and one granddaughter. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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