Manchin, Capito Announce Funding For West Virginia Veterans Legacy Program

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $57,272 to the West Virginia Humanities Council from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration to support a Veterans Legacy Program (VLP) contract. This funding will engage students in researching veterans interred at West Virginia and Grafton National Cemeteries.

“I always say West Virginia is one of the most patriotic states in the country, and I am pleased the Department of Veterans Affairs is supporting the first ever Veterans Legacy Program in the Mountain State. This important program helps West Virginia students research and connect with our brave West Virginia Veterans buried at West Virginia and Grafton National Cemeteries. As a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I will continue to fight for funding to support and honor our Veterans who sacrificed so much to protect our great nation,” Senator Manchin, Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee said.

 

“If we are going to encourage our youth to be the leaders of tomorrow, we must build off of the great examples set by West Virginians in the past,” Senator Capito said. “West Virginia is an incredibly patriotic state, with a deep understanding of the importance of military service and respect for our veterans. Projects like this help bring history to life, while also shining a light on those who have sacrificed so much for our safety and freedoms that we hold dearly.”

 

 

The project will immerse local high school students in the stories of West Virginia veterans interred at the West Virginia and Grafton National Cemeteries. Over the next year, these students will visit the national cemeteries, learn how to access state and local archives to assist in research, and write biographies for veterans interred in the cemeteries. They will then present these stories during a commemoration ceremony at the Grafton Memorial Day Parade in May.