AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is pleased to announce that the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene 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 Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene," said Commissioner Buckingham. "Since 2009, the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene has interred Texas Veterans with the dignity befitting their sacrifices and provided a pristine place in Texas's beautiful 'Big Country' 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 live on in the hearts of Texans forever."
(L to R) Kenny Kussatz, Abilene Operations Supervisor; NCA Official, VLB Board Member Judson Scott; the Honorable Samuel B. Brown, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs at the VA; Craig Wooten, VLB Onsite Representative; Jennifer Jones, Chief Clerk and Deputy Land Commissioner; VLB Board Member James Rothfelder; Abilene Cemetery Director Ethan Hipple
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 Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009, and opened on June 1, 2009. It is the third TSVC built and run by the Texas Veterans Land Board, under the Texas General Land Office. The cemetery's current size is 178 acres with up to 50,000 burial plots.
This cemetery includes a covered, open-air structure for committal services, a visitor’s center, a computer kiosk for locating specific graves or interments, 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 Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene:
Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene
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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.
