Larry Vannoy appointed to Alabama Board of Veterans Affairs
MADISON – Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed retired Col. Larry Vannoy, longtime resident of Madison and avid volunteer, to the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs.
Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is actively seeking approximately 120 acres of land, preferably donated, in North Central Alabama to establish a new state veterans cemetery. This solemn and enduring site will serve as a final resting place for Alabama’s veterans, commemorating their service and sacrifice to our nation, according to the Alabama Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.
Approximately 400,000 veterans live in Alabama.
“I am Chairman of the Board Cemetery Committee, addressing both Spanish Fort Cemetery and the newly planned North Alabama Veterans Cemetery,” Vannoy said. “My appointment to the board is for four years.”
With allocated state funding, the department will develop the cemetery in 10-acre increments, adhering to all construction guidelines from the National Cemetery Administration.
The planned design has specific parameters:
• 4,430 gravesites that will accommodate pre-placed casket vaults.
• Sites for 649 in-ground cremains.
• 1,745 Columbaria wall niches. (A columbarium is a structure for respectful, public storage of urns that contain cremated remains of the dead.)
• 100 memorial wall gravesites.
• Supporting infrastructure, such as a cartage lane, committal shelter, internal roadways and essential utilities.
This veterans’ cemetery will be the second for Alabama, joining the Spanish Fort State Veterans Cemetery in South Alabama, east of Mobile. The new site will expand access to dignified burial options for veterans and their families in the state’s northern region.
The veterans’ department invites landowners, municipalities and organizations to consider contributing to this historic initiative. Together, Alabamians can honor veterans by confirming that they are laid to rest with dignity and respect they deserve.
“Also, once the cemetery site has been acquired, it is anticipated to be a two-year project to completion of Phase 1, which includes all the buildings and the first 10 acres of grave sites,” Vannoy said. “We are seeking the land in Madison, Limestone or Morgan County.”
For more information or to discuss potential land donations, contact Vannoy at LVannoy06@gmail.com.
In local service, Vannoy serves as Post Commander for Madison American Legion, Post 229. He is an officer at the district, Madison County and state levels of American Legion and a member of American Legion Honor Guard and Legion Riders.
A staunch advocate for local veterans and their families, Vannoy spends countless hours supporting the veteran community year-round. In Post Commander duties, he prioritizes involvement with youth in community projects that support veterans and foster patriotism.
He works with local Junior ROTC units, Girl Scouts and Scouts of America, Boys State and the legion’s oratorical contest and baseball league. In Post 229 Honor Guard, Vannoy frequently supports funeral services for veterans across Madison County.
In Madison City Council, Vannoy formerly represented District 6.
In 2024, North Alabama Veterans & Fraternal Organizations Coalition or NAVFOC selected Vannoy as “Veteran of the Year.” In other honors, Heart of the Valley YMCA recognized him with the “Brigadier General Robert Drolet Service to Veterans Award.”
Vannoy was commissioned as an Air Force officer through ROTC. “I served on active duty for nine years and Air Force Reserves for 21 years. I reached the rank of colonel,” Vannoy said.
For more information, visit facebook.com/alsdva or va.alabama.gov/veterans- service-organizations.
