VETERANS from Tinian may soon have a resting place on their home island.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres on Friday said his discussions with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Donald M. Remy who visited the CNMI recently included a veterans cemetery for Tinian.
“We asked for additional funding,” the governor added.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held earlier this month for the Rota Veterans Cemetery.
Pursuant to Public Law 17-60, the Department of Public Lands shall designate one hectare of feasible public land on Rota to be preserved and designated as the future site of a veterans cemetery.
Rota residents who have served the country and sacrificed their lives, like Private First Class Joe Charfauros Jr., and U.S. Marine Corporal Dave Michael Santos, were buried in the San Jose Cemetery owned by the diocese on Rota. Other veterans who have passed away were buried in the same cemetery.
U.S. Army Spc. Hanson Mendiola, who passed away in July 2012, was buried at the Tinian cemetery, which is not for veterans.
“Hopefully, we can work that out also on Tinian. We’re waiting for a lot to be designated to Tinian. Hopefully, we can move that forward,” the governor said.
The Tinian Veterans Cemetery will be a reality soon through the combined efforts of the Office of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Public Lands, and the Office of the Mayor of Tinian, the governor added.
“We look forward to developing more programs and ways to support our CNMI veterans and their families,” he said.
The CNMI Veterans Cemetery is located in Marpi on Saipan. The burial site was designated and completed in 2005 through $1.6 million in federal grants. The veterans cemetery was never formally established by law until 2011.
Ralph DLG Torres
