AUSTIN, Texas— Today, Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is pleased to announce that the Rio Grande Valley 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 Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission," said Commissioner Buckingham. "For 20 years, the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery has interred Texas Veterans with the dignity befitting their sacrifices and provided a beautiful place in the RGV 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 Texas Veterans and ensuring their sacrifices will never be forgotten."
(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; Mary Hernandez, Cemetery Director; George Rice, VLB Onsite Representative; 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 Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission opened on December 4, 2006. This cemetery was dedicated in 2006 and is administered by the Texas Veterans Land Board. The current size of this cemetery is 75 total acres, with up to 25,000 burial plots. Before the expansion of this cemetery, the initial phase of development contained 31 acres and 6,190 gravesites.
The Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery is the second Texas State Veterans Cemetery to be built and run by the Texas Veterans Land Board, under the Texas General Land Office. The cemetery will be expanded as needed and will eventually be able to provide final resting places for more than 25,000 Veterans and family members.
Click the button below for more information about the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery:
Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery
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Dr. Dawn Buckingham made history in 2022, winning a statewide election to become Texas's 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.
