BRIEF: Gov. Martinez: Carlsbad one of four NM sites for veterans cemeteries

April 15--CARLSBAD -- Servicemen of Carlsbad have finally been granted their wish.

The Veterans Cemetery at Sunset Gardens will receive funding from the state of New Mexico to complete construction. The cemetery was selected as one of four proposed sites for rural veterans' cemeteries across the state, according to Gov. Susana Martinez, who announced the decision on Tuesday afternoon in Albuquerque.

The move comes after a number of towns recently hosted community meetings on the need for small rural veterans' cemeteries in the state.

"Our veterans and their spouses -- no matter where they live -- deserve a special, dignified final resting place befitting a man or woman who has sacrificed so much to serve and protect our country as a member of the United States Armed Forces," said Martinez in a written statement."And in a state as large as ours, we should be doing everything in our power to ensure that this resting place is as close to home as possible."

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs, more than half of New Mexico's 170,000 veterans live too far from the two existing national cemeteries in the state.

Reporter Zack Ponce can be reached at (575) 689-7402.

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