VA Advisory Committee on Cemeteries Welcomes New Member
June 11, 1999
The Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Cemeteries and Memorials welcomed new member Roger D. Tackett to its semi-annual meeting in Washington, D.C., June 8 and 9.
Said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Togo D. West Jr., "I look forward to hearing from Mr. Tackett and other committee members as we work to provide the quality service our Nation's veterans deserve."
The Congressionally-mandated committee advises the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on issues involving the operations of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), its State Cemetery Grants, headstone and marker and Presidential Memorial Certificates programs, and related burial benefits. The Committee assists the Secretary in assuring NCA plans and programs are meeting the needs of the Nation's veterans and their eligible family members.
Tackett entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1966. He received the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in Vietnam. Heavily involved in community and veterans' affairs, Tackett has twice been named Ohio's Outstanding Disabled American Veteran. He was elected five times to the Clark County Commissioner and presently serves as its president. In 1984, Ohio Governor Richard Celeste named Tackett Administrative Assistant for the Governor's Office of Veterans Affairs to assist Ohio veterans.
Tackett worked to obtain funding for veterans programs and activities around the state, including the Dayton VA Medical Center and local veterans' events, commemorations and services. He has been Chairman of the United Way Public and Civic Divisions for Clark County, served on the Miami Valley and Clark County Councils on Aging, and been on a number of civic steering committees throughout Ohio. Tackett received the No Greater Love Award from Ohio U.S. Rep. Clarence J. Brown for his contributions to the community.
Information on VA burial benefits is available from national cemetery offices and VA regional offices. For more information, call 1-800-827-1000 or visit the VA home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.cem.va.gov http://www.cem.va.gov/ or the National Cemetery Administration home page at http://www.cem.va.gov. Veterans with discharges other than dishonorable, their spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. VA also provides grave markers and headstones for the unmarked graves of eligible veterans even if they are not buried in a national cemetery. VA does not reserve space in national cemeteries prior to the time of need.
