April 6 was the Grand Opening for the re-established Veterans Services Office in Gallup and the ribbon-cutting was attended by a fairly large crowd of veterans interested in what Director Jack Fox had to say. The new office is located inside the Ford Canyon Senior Center and will be open about six days a month and staffed by Tyra Saavedra, who is also the VSO for Grants.
The New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services Network of Care for Service Members, Veterans & Their Families is a one-stop-shop for virtually all services, information, support, advocacy, and much more. This public service is an attempt to bring together critical information for all components of the veterans’ community, including veterans, family members, active-duty personnel, reservists, members of the New Mexico National Guard, employers, service providers, and the community at large.
More specifically the network offers: Addiction Treatment and Recovery; Advocacy and Assistance; Child, Adolescent and Family Services; Criminal Justice; Education; Employment; Housing; Insurance Benefits; Legal Services; Medical; Mental Health; Native American Resources; Peer Support; Prevention and Early Intervention; Self-Help/Support Groups; Transportation; and Veteran/Military Services.
Turned out Fox did not talk much but instead had brought along other experts, specifically concerning the Veterans’ Cemetery to be built here. Even that portion of the extended meeting at Second Street Event Center was a let-down. The original idea for the cemetery had set a finish date by late 2016, which was later re-established for 2017. Now it appears that the hopeful finished product will be late 2018.
Explanations were given for the delays, though not many veterans were happy with them. Still, it is the government bureaucracy and their need for tons of paperwork and myriad channels to circumnavigate, that will keep the cemetery a focus of conversation for at least two more years.
The only problem holding up the completion for now is money and Requests for Proposals to choose design and finish the earthwork and other items needed in the overall plan. All according to specifications, of course.
The land has already passed a Title Search and Environmental Testing
The completed cemetery is for any veteran meeting the minimum time-in-service requirement, and the family may choose between a traditional burial, where caskets will be double-stacked in cement crypts, or cremains to be stored above ground in special vaults.
When finished, plans are in place for the cemetery to have a capacity large enough to last for 30-50 years.
Story and photos by Tom Hartsock
Sun Correspondent
