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NY takes ownership of first state veterans cemetery in Seneca County

The Citizen - 2/25/2023

Feb. 25—Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery has been given a new name now that it has been formally established as New York's first state veterans cemetery.

The state has assumed ownership of the cemetery in the town of Romulus and renamed it New York State Veterans Cemetery-Finger Lakes. Before becoming a state veterans cemetery, it was owned and operated by Seneca County.

The state Division of Veterans' Services will now oversee the cemetery, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office.

As the state finalizes its takeover of the cemetery, it will also receive federal support. The Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration will provide $2.8 million to support the state veterans cemetery project.

"Our veterans have sacrificed more than many could ever imagine, and New York is proud to establish its first state veterans cemetery to honor their legacies and ensure they can rest in peace," Hochul said. "There is no better place for this first of its kind cemetery than a location steeped in military history."

The state veterans cemetery is located at the site of the former Sampson Naval Training Station and Sampson Air Force Base in Seneca County.

The establishment of the first state veterans cemetery was a years-long effort. Supporters of the Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery aimed for a national- or state-level designation.

New York was one of the few states that did not have a state-run veterans cemetery. That changed when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo included plans to create a state veterans cemetery in his 2020 State of the State agenda.

In 2021, the state Division of Veterans' Services recommended Sampson to be the site of the first state veterans cemetery — a recommendation accepted by a selection committee. The state then applied for federal funding through the National Cemetery Administration and sought to formalize the establishment of the state veterans cemetery.

The 162-acre cemetery in Seneca County opened in 2011. According to a report issued by the state, 15 acres will be used for the first 6,000 gravesites. More land could be developed for an additional 74,000 gravesites at the cemetery.

State Sen. Pam Helming, who represented Seneca County at the time it was selected as the first state veterans cemetery, praised the veterans who played a pivotal role in securing the designation.

"Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery will always proudly serve as a lasting memorial and hallowed resting place for our nation's greatest heroes," she said.

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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