Montana veterans cemetery receives national designation

LAUREL – Monday afternoon added to the significance of Memorial Day as the veterans cemetery in Laurel became Yellowstone National Cemetery.

It’s part of the Department of Veterans Affairs mission to reach out to rural areas.

“We are responsible for the maintenance and operation and to ensure that the veterans and their survivors and their families who are buried here, are taken care of forever,” said Steve Muro, Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs.

Montana is the first in a group of eight states to receive a national cemetery.

The cemetery had its first burial in 2008 and was built to national standards.

Since then Montana Senator Jon Tester was among the supporters to make that national push.

“They saw the work that was already done and they saw that this could be a real winner for the veterans here and really, another way that we could live up to the promises of our fighting men and women,” Tester said.

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