First stage of Veterans Cemetery complete

Workers broke ground on the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery last March. The first phase of development is now complete.

78 acres of Fort Ord are being returned back to military members as it transitions into the new California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery.

More than 100,000 veterans and their families live in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Santa Clara Counties. As numbers of WWII and Korean veterans dwindle the cemetery is where they are expected to find their final rest.

“Most of them passed. I use to write them Christmas cards, but they are almost all gone now. In fact the last one passed away May or April,” said Korean War Veteran Ralph Villar.

More than 600 people are expected to attend the opening ceremony this morning. It will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Veterans Cemetery, which is located out at 2900 Parker Flats Road in Seaside.