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Congressman Doyle Celebrates Opening
of New Veterans Cemetery
Washington, D.C. - October 7, 2005 – U.S. Representative Mike
Doyle (PA-14) today expressed his great satisfaction at the dedication
of the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, which is scheduled for Sunday
in Bridgeville.
“This is an important occasion for many of our honored veterans,” Congressman Doyle said today. “They earned the right to a burial in a national cemetery with their service to their country. They shouldn’t have to be buried a great distance from their families, friends, and communities in order to enjoy that honor. Now, when they pass on, they can truly rest in peace.”
Interest in establishing a national veterans cemetery in Pittsburgh dates back 20 years, but no progress was made toward this goal until 1999. That year, Congressman Doyle introduced legislation (H.R. 1973) which directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national veterans’ cemetery in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. This legislation was cosponsored by the entire Pennsylvania delegation. As a result of the delegation’s efforts and Congressman Doyle’s leadership, a provision to establish a veterans cemetery in southwestern Pennsylvania was subsequently incorporated into the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 1999. This measure eventually became public law 106-118.
Congressman Doyle was also successful in securing funding to support the completion of this veterans’ cemetery. In 1999, he obtained $500,000 in federal funding for the initial site assessment. The following year, he was successful in inserting directive language in the VA/HUD Appropriations bill that allowed the VA to move forward with the project. Congressman Doyle also secured $1 million in the FY 2001 for the next phase of the project, an environmental impact study of the selected site. In the FY 2002 budget cycle, Rep, Doyle obtained funding to support the acquisition of the selected site, and in FY 2003, Congressman Doyle worked to make certain that the necessary funding for the facility was appropriated.
“Having worked hard over the last seven years to have a national cemetery established in western Pennsylvania, I am very pleased to see this much-needed facility dedicated,” Doyle added. “It will make a tremendous difference for the thousands of veterans and their families who live in our region.”
Information about the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies can be found on-line at http://www.cem.va.gov/nchp/ncalleghenies.htm.