By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 21, 2026 – Against the backdrop of sweeping views of the Tanana River Valley and the distant Alaska Range, veterans, elected officials, and community leaders gathered Saturday to celebrate the groundbreaking of what will become Alaska’s first state-operated veterans cemetery.
An estimated 70 people attended the ceremony on a scenic hilltop overlooking Interior Alaska, just south of Eielson Air Force Base. Among those present were Congressman Nick Begich, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Department of Veterans Affairs Undersecretary Sam Brown, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, members of American Legion Post 99, veterans organizations, former Assemblyman Hank Bartos, and local residents who have spent years advocating for the project.
The new cemetery on 257 acres in Salcha, marks a historic milestone for the state. It will be the first state-operated veterans cemetery in Alaska and the northernmost veterans cemetery in the United States.
During his remarks, Begich reflected on a recent visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, where he took his son to see the name of a family member who gave his life in service to the country.
Memorials and veterans cemeteries serve an important purpose beyond honoring the dead, Congressman Begich said. They ensure future generations remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms Americans enjoy today.
For decades, Interior veterans and their families have faced a difficult reality. Those seeking burial with military honors often had to transport their loved ones’ remains hundreds of miles to Anchorage or Sitka, placing an emotional burden on families already coping with loss.
Rep. Frank Tomaszewski, who helped secure the state funding necessary to match a $15 million federal grant through the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, said the cemetery will finally provide a local option worthy of those who served.
“This cemetery ensures our local veterans will finally have a final resting place of dignity and distinction right here in the Interior, where their families can easily visit and honor their incredible legacy,” Rep Frank Tomaszewski said.
The project addresses a long-standing need for the approximately 11,000 veterans who live throughout Interior Alaska.
When the first phase is completed, the cemetery will include 350 pre-placed crypts, 250 traditional in-ground burial sites, 600 columbarium niches for cremated remains, a shelter, and a public administrative information center.
Rep. Will Stapp, a US Army Purple Heart veteran, said the location itself provides a fitting tribute.
“The location offers sweeping views of the Tanana River Valley and the Alaska Range — a truly fitting tribute to those who sacrificed so much for our freedom,” Stapp said. “I am proud to see this community-led effort transitioning from vision to reality.”
Several speakers emphasized that the groundbreaking represented the culmination of years of work by local advocates, veterans, and elected officials who refused to let the idea fade away.
“This project would not be a reality without the exceptional leadership of retired Air Force Lt. Col. Hank Bartos and former North Pole Rep. Tammie Wilson, who also both served on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly,” Prax said.
“Thanks to their advocacy, we successfully partnered with the State Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to fund the cemetery’s land acquisition, while simultaneously working with our federal delegation to secure the construction funding. They truly deserve the lion’s share of the credit for bringing this vision to life.”
The cemetery’s first phase is expected to reach substantial completion by October 2027.
When finished, the hilltop cemetery will provide Interior Alaska veterans with a final resting place close to home, allowing family members to visit and remember their loved ones without traveling across the state.
For many of those gathered Saturday, the groundbreaking was more than the start of a construction project. It was the fulfillment of a promise that Alaska’s veterans would be honored in the region they helped defend, surrounded by the landscapes they called home.
