By, Riley Hickman, Vallo Vision News
(Montevallo, Ala.) – The Alabama National Cemetery is one of 155 national cemeteries across the United States and Puerto Rico. Spanning 479-acres, the Alabama National Cemetery is the final resting place of over 7,800 Veterans.
A Brief History of the Alabama National Cemetery
The concept of a national cemetery originated during the Civil War to bury fallen Union soldiers. On July 17, 1862, Congress and President Abraham Lincoln made the decision to purchase and securely enclose the land on which these soldiers had been buried.
Congress passed the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, prompting construction of the Alabama National Cemetery. The first burials occurred on June 25, 2009. It wasn’t until 2011 that construction was completed on the supporting facilities including the:
- Public Information Center
- Avenue of Flags
- Memorial Wall with Flag Circle
- Memorial Walkway
The Scenic Overlook was proposed to the Support Committee for the Alabama National Cemetery in 2012. Fundraising began almost immediately, and the Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs approved the project in 2013. The Scenic Overlook’s construction was fully completed in January 2020.
Visiting the Cemetery
The cemetery is open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day. It is located at 3133 Highway 119 Montevallo, AL 35115.
The US Department of Veteran Affairs has issued a list of behaviors that are not allowed when visiting the cemetery “to preserve the dignity and honor of our Veteran’s final resting place”. Some of these restrictions include:
- No picnicking
- No pets
- No sports or recreational activities
- No loud music
The Support Committee for the Alabama National Cemetery
An exclusively volunteer ran, not-for profit organization, The Support Committee for the Alabama National Cemeteryexists “to ensure that the sacrifices of our military, veterans and their families are never forgotten”. They hold three ceremonies annually to fulfil this mission, as well as numerous other events and fundraising campaigns.
In partnership with Wreaths Across America, the most recent ceremony was the laying of the wreaths that occurred on December 18, 2021.
The next ceremony will be the 14th Annual Memorial Day Observance to remember, and honor fallen soldiers. It will occur on Monday, May 30th, 2022, at 9am.
Vallo Vision News 