South OC Times

U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Lou Correa (CA-46) led a letter with members of the Orange County Congressional Delegation to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), urging federal support for the construction of the Southern California Veterans Cemetery at Gypsum Canyon in Anaheim Hills, CA. This would be the first veteran cemetery located in Orange County.

“[W]e write to you in support of the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program Pre-application submitted to your office…for the Southern California Veterans Cemetery at Gypsum Canyon in Anaheim Hills, CA,” the members wrote. “After years of delay due to a lack of consensus on an appropriate location, the County of Orange, all 34 cities, a bipartisan majority of the County’s state and federal delegation, public safety and labor organizations, and more than 100 local, state and national veterans’ organizations are united in support of the Gypsum Canyon location.”

The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) submitted a Veterans Cemetery Grants Program Pre-application to the National Cemetery Administration within the VA. As of July 23, 2024, the Orange County Cemetery District’s (OCCD) application to develop and operate a public cemetery at Gypsum Canyon was unanimously approved by the Anaheim City Council—allowing OCCD, CalVet, and the County to continue collaborating on land development for shared cost options.

“Our veterans were willing to give their lives to defend our freedom and democracy. All gave some and some gave all. Orange County is united in its support for Gypsum Canyon as the final resting place for our veterans and their families who courageously served our nation,” the members concluded. “We request your full and fair consideration of this application[.]”

In addition to Reps. Correa and Kim, this letter was also signed by Reps. Katie Porter (CA-47), Michelle Steel (CA-45), and Linda Sanchez (CA-38).

The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $20 million exclusively for site development of a veterans’ cemetery at Gypsum Canyon on July 27, 2021, allocating over 200 acres of county-owned land near the intersection of the 91 freeway and 241 toll road for building a public cemetery and a separate veterans' cemetery. The combined state and local funding currently totals $50 million, including $5 million allocated as part of the 2024 State Budget Act and $25 million in state funding already allocated in previous budgets.

You can read the full text of the letter HERE.