COLORADO SPRINGS – The National Cemetery Scheduling Office will begin accepting burial applications for eligible deceased veterans and their spouses for the Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs Wednesday.
The Pikes Peak National Cemetery is a 374-acre Department of Veterans Affairs national cemetery located in southeast Colorado Springs. The cemetery will reportedly serve burial needs for more than 95,000 Veterans, their spouses, and eligible family members for the next 100 years.
The first phase of construction consists of 65 acres and will offer 13,300 gravesites, for both casketed and cremated remains.
“In partnership with the VA’s National Cemetery Scheduling Office, we’re excited to start accepting burial applications and move on to the next chapter of Pikes Peak National Cemetery,” said Paul LaGrange, Director of Pikes Peak National Cemetery.
Burial in the VA national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces and Veterans who’ve met their active duty service requirements and were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. Veteran spouses, widow or widower, minor children, and unmarried adult children with disabilities under specific conditions may also be eligible for burial, according to a release.
Next of kin or a funeral home acting on the eligible family’s behalf can request burial at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery by contracting the St. Louis office. Those applying are asked to send a copy of the military discharge document/DD214 to the NCSO by at 1-866-900-6417 or by email at NCA.scheduling@va.gov.
People are then asked to call the toll free number 1-800-535-1117 to complete the process. National Cemetery staff in Colorado Springs cannot accept burial applications in-person or by phone, according to a release.
The Pikes Peak National Cemetary staff will then use data from applications to determine the first candidates for burial. Some of the criteria used to make the decision will include deceased veterans that have been waiting the longest for a burial and have not received any military funeral honors.
First burial services are said to begin the first week of November. All service branch veterans will be represented in the first burial service, according to a release.
The final phase of construction will be completed in the fall of 2019, according to a release.
For more information on burial eligibility or any additional questions, please call (719) 216-1025.
