Over 9,500 veterans reside in Brazos County, per 2019 Veterans Administration (VA) figures. They may be eligible for burial in National and Texas State Veteran Cemeteries. However, for the convenience of their families, many are opting to purchase a plot in the Veterans section of the Bryan City Cemetery (BCC) expansion for their final resting place. Plots are configured to permit double-stacking for spouses, as is done in other veteran cemeteries. May is Military Appreciation Month and Saturday, May 14 is Armed Forces Day. In honor of these dates, the Veterans of Brazos Valley Memorial (VBVM) will be announced May 13 at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Field in Bryan City Cemetery. A granite monument was selected to complement the light gray granite veteran headstones, issued by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), which are required by the City of Bryan for this section. It will be engraved with the following wording:
VETERANS OF BRAZOS VALLEY “…stood where duty required (them) to stand.” –President George H. W. Bush
The memorial will feature medallions for each uniformed service: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines ,and Space Force. The VBVM will be 8 feet long, 2 and a half feet tall, and 10 inches deep. To assist with visualization of the memorial, there will be a banner of the design, with the actual length and height.
The City of Bryan is donating the land for the VBVM and plot #21 for POW-MIA (Prisoner of War - Missing In Action) service members. Watson Signs and Monuments, who designed VBVM, is donating a VA-style, granite headstone, that will be engraved with UNKNOWN. An eighth medallion (POW-MIA), to match the other 7, is being purchased to be affixed to this headstone. The cost for the VBVM is $25,000 installed. It will be funded by tax deductible donations from individuals, businesses, and organizations in the community. Contributions in any amount would be greatly appreciated. Once the initial goal is met, additional contributions will be used for granite section markers and benches for both Bryan City and Oakwood cemeteries.
The first donation of $1,111.22 has been made, in recognition of the Memorial’s dedication on Veterans Day 2022 by Friends of Brazos Valley Cemeteries, the successor nonprofit to the Bryan Cemetery Association. “Save The Date” cards for the VBVM dedication at “the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month” (Veterans Day 2022,11 a.m.), with donation information, will be distributed Friday.
Brazos Valley Cares (BVC) began in 2013 and is devoted to supporting US military veterans and their families. Through their donations to local veteran service organizations, BVC has extended their efforts. Wreaths Across America (WAA), the national nonprofit that places wreaths on veteran graves each December and does other projects, expanded to the Brazos Valley in 2015. Other WAA Brazos Valley veteran and community activities include: flag placements for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, cemetery and grave cleanups, grief support, and educational outreach.
Courtesy of Wreaths Across America
