AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is pleased to announce that the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery has been honored with the prestigious Operational Excellence Award by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration (NCA).
"It is truly an honor to be recognized by the National Cemetery Administration with the prestigious Operational Excellence Award for the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi," said Commissioner Buckingham. "For 15 years, the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery has interred Veterans with the dignity befitting their sacrifices and provided a beautiful place on the Texas Coast for their families to come and cherish the memories of their loved ones. I thank the cemetery staff for their dedication to preserving the legacies of our Veterans and ensuring their sacrifices will be remembered for generations."
(L to R) VLB Board Member James Rothfelder; NCA Official; VLB Board Member Judson Scott; the Honorable Samuel B. Brown, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the VA; Frank Newell, Cemetery Director; Freddie Medina, VLB Onsite Representative; Juan “JJ” De La Cerda Jr., Nueces County Director of Veterans and Social Services; Jennifer Jones, Chief Clerk and Deputy Land Commissioner
The Operational Excellence Award is given to cemeteries that significantly surpass the quality standards set by the NCA's Compliance Review Program, which conducts thorough inspections every three years.
The Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi opened on Dec. 14, 2011. It is the fourth TSVC built and run by the Texas Veterans Land Board, under the Texas General Land Office. The current size of this cemetery is 54 acres, with the potential for up to 31,500 burial plots.
This cemetery includes a covered, open-air structure for committal services, a visitor's center, a computer kiosk for locating specific graves, an assembly area for special occasions, such as Memorial Day observances, an avenue of flags, and a memorial walkway for future monuments.
Click the button below to learn more about the Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery:
Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery
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Dr. Dawn Buckingham made history in 2022, winning a statewide election to become Texas' first female Land Commissioner. As Land Commissioner, Dr. Dawn Buckingham is committed to helping Texans after a disaster, supporting Texas energy, ensuring that every child in Texas receives a high-quality public education, serving Texas Veterans, and securing the border to keep our communities safe.
