IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Riverside National Cemetery, the largest cemetery operated by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, will be enlarged.
The department announced recently that it has purchased 315 acres next to the cemetery – including the General Old Golf Course at the March Naval Reserve Base – from the March Joint Powers Authority, according to a statement.
Cost of the purchase was $12.5 million.
The golf course will remain open. A timeline for the cemetery expansion was not disclosed.
Opened in 1976, Riverside National covers more than 1.2 million acres. That makes it the largest cemetery managed by the National Cemetery Administration, which is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Besides being the largest national cemetery, Riverside National is also the busiest, burying more 8,000 veterans and their family members every year, according to the statement.
“With Riverside National Cemetery becoming the most utilized national cemetery, it was evident we had to make arrangements to support the growing needs of our veterans and their families,” said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Randy Reeves in the statement. “The additional acreage will ensure our veterans have access to the benefits they have earned and deserve.”
