Governor Janet T. Mills (D), the firsst woman governor of Maine, today announced that the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs has awarded Maine a sigificant federal grant to help meet the growing demand for dignified burial options for Maine veterans and their families.

The grant – awarded to the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services – will fund the construction of niches and cremation plots at the Northern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery in Caribou and the Southern Maine Veterans’ Cemetery in Springvale.  The expansion will ensure that the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery System can continue to provide high-quality burial optins for years to come.

“Our veterans deserve the utmost respect and gratitude for their service and that includes providing them and their families with a final resting place that honors their service” said Governor Mills.  “I thank the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs for this grant which will help us ensure that Maine veterans have access to more burial options closer to home.”