Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery opens in Henderson County

August 7, 2018

HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads officially opened Tuesday.

The Department of Veterans Services determined a portion of veterans living between Nashville and Memphis did not have access to a veterans cemetery within a 75 mile radius. Now they do.

“100 percent of Tennessee’s veterans are going to have are going to have a dignified burial option within 75 miles of their home,” said Randy Reeves, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services maintains and manages five veterans cemeteries in the state and their newest, as announced by Governor Bill Haslam Tuesday, now rests in Henderson County.

“Our ‘why’ is gripped by compassion for grieving families looking for peace, beauty, reverence and honor,” said Many-Bears Grinder, Commissioner for Tennessee Department of Veterans Services.

The 132-acre cemetery will serve more than 45,000 veterans and their families across 17 counties in west Tennessee.

The cemetery opened July 6 and had its first burial July 9.

“I have the liberty of standing here today because of the sacrifice you have made and the service that you have rendered our nation,” said U.S. Congressman, Marsha Blackburn.

Donald Parish was in attendance Tuesday to honor all of the veterans, but there was one in particular, his brother, Ray.

“…. who was the first veteran to be interred,” said Donald Parish. “Ray was a member of the steering committee that formed a few years ago to raise the money and to provoke interest in the community in order to build the facility,” Parish added.

Leaders says this is the first rural veterans cemetery for the state.