Town Hall set for veterans cemetery in North Alabama

GURLEY – Individuals have been working to establish the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery — North Alabama. A meeting on June 18 will update the public on progress for this initiative.

The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs will conduct a public town hall on June 18 at 6 p.m. at Madison County High School, 174 Brock Road in Gurley. Officials will share updates on the new project.

Residents can learn about the cemetery’s design, timeline and benefits for veterans and their families, along with viewing renderings and asking questions. The cemetery will be located near Interstate 65 and Maysville Road in Madison County and will include a committal shelter, administration building, graves, columbarium niches and a scatter garden, according to retired U.S. Air Force Col. Larry Vannoy.

Vannoy serves as Commander of Madison American Legion, Post 229 and is a member of the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs.

A federal grant for $13.5 million is supporting the cemetery and will provide no-cost burial benefits for eligible veterans, spouses and dependents. Construction is expected to begin in late summer 2026 and require approximately one year. Congressman Dale Strong was instrumental in securing the federal grant dollars from the National Cemetery Administration.

Appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey in October 2025, Vannoy is one of 15 members of the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs. He serves as Chairman of the Cemetery Committee. “Currently, we have one State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort and now the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery North Alabama,” Vannoy said.

The state board manages the Veterans Assistance Fund, from which the majority of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs operates.

The National Cemeteries Administration intends to have a veterans cemetery within 75 miles of a veteran. “There is a void in North Alabama,” Vannoy said. “Currently, the nation has more than 150 state veterans cemeteries.”

Vannoy shared notes from Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Jeff Newton: • Size — Comprises 149 acres along the eastern side of Maysville Road NE approximately 1.25 miles northwest of downtown Maysville in Madison County.

• Documents — Land survey completed as of Feb. 9. Closing on property occurred on March 10 in Huntsville.

• Schedule — Contractual obligation for federal grant money by Sept. 30. State Board of Veterans Affairs allocated $20 million for construction, covering land purchase and construction. Total current allocation for this phase is $33.6 million.

• Capacity – New cemetery should accommodate veteran burials for 200 years. First interment will occur approximately one year after construction begins.

• Official name — Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery — North Alabama.

• Availability — Spouses and dependent children can be interred with or alongside their veteran.

“We also provide burial services, at no cost, for National Guard and Reserve Veterans and their spouses who are not eligible for burial at a national cemetery,” Vannoy said. “We’ve hired an architectural and engineering firm in Huntsville to design the project; currently, we are at 95 percent in design completion.”

Pre-registration forms for burials will be available at the Town Hall.

“We desire special features for the new cemetery, such as a mini-amphitheater for ceremonies or dedicated school visits for professional development. Another special feature, a carillon bell tower will be constructed and will ring to announce the beginning and ending of funeral services,” Vannoy said. For more information, visit va.alabama. gov.