The first burials and interments of cremated remains will begin this fall at the Omaha National Cemetery.Construction began last June on the 236 acre Omaha National Cemetery, at Highway 50 and Schram Road in Sarpy County. The cemetery will eventually have 138,000 gravesites, which will meet the burial needs of eligible veterans for 100 years. A public meeting Friday morning in Bellevue gave veterans and their families the opportunity to learn more about the project.
Cindy van Bibber, director of the Omaha National Cemetery, says additional space will open next year.
"In the fall of 2017 there will be additional options for cremated remains, which will include above-ground placement in the Columbarium, or the ossuary. Or, in the instance that somebody has their cremated remains scattered or are non-recoverable, then we will have their information placed on our Memorial Wall."
When it opens, the Omaha National Cemetery will be the 134th national cemetery in the U.S. The goal is to provide a final resting place for eligible veterans within 75 miles of their home.