In honor of Memorial Day, as we remember those who died in service to the United States, we have a veterans-themed edition of Know Your Knox.
The scenic drive along Lyons View Pike is complete with views of Fort Loudon Lake and the Smoky Mountains in the distance as you make your way to Lakeshore Park. Along that same route is the East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery up on a hill, a treasured resting place for our country’s heroes.
There are five of these state veterans cemeteries across the state and Knoxville has two. The other is on John Sevier Highway.
This is the background on how those cemeteries came to be here.
Why does Knoxville have two state veterans cemeteries?
In the 1970s and '80s the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs began pushing states to take on the responsibility (and cost) of operating cemeteries, something the Tennessee Department of VeteransServices handles today with funding from the state and federal governments.
Knoxville’s Lyons View Pike cemetery was the first state veterans cemetery, opened in 1990, before its Nashville and Memphis counterparts. This was largely because Knoxville was home to state-owned property that could be easily used, cemetery director Kevin Knowles said.
At the time, back in 1990, Lakeshore Mental Health Institute was operating where Lakeshore Park sits now and a few administrative buildings and houses for staff were across the street, along with a few hundred graves, including those of some former patients. Part of the space had been used as a cemetery since the 1880s. That 20-acre site made for an ideal location for a cemetery and the paperwork was drawn up.
But the space at Lyons View was small and is at capacity at 6,000 plots, far fewer than the cemeteries in Nashville and Memphis.
The state closed Lakeshore Mental Health Institute in 2011. At the time there was a push to expand the state cemetery across the street, where the park sits now, which would have been sizable, but those plans fizzled.
Instead, in August of 2011, the state established the second East Tennessee Cemetery on John Sevier Highway, expanding capacity on a 70-acre site with 28,000 plots and room to expand in the future.
The cemetery on John Sevier won’t come close to being full until 2080 or so, according to projections, Knowles said.
How do our state veterans cemeteries compare?
Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery
The Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery was established in January 1993 in Nashville. This cemetery has capacity for 30,813 plots.
West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery
The West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery was established in January 1992 in Memphis. The cemetery has capacity for 30,000 plots.
Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads
The Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery at Parkers Crossroads was established in July 2018. This cemetery has capacity for 49,000 plots.
Upper Cumberland State Veterans Cemetery (planned)
The Tennessee Department of VeteransServices established the Upper Cumberland State Veterans Cemetery Steering Committee back in 2013, but funding has been slow to materialize. The state purchased property near Sparta, but there’s no timetable for completion.
There are national veterans cemeteries in East Tennessee, such as the Knoxville National Cemetery on the north side of Old Gray Cemetery, for instance, but the only state veterans cemeteries east of Nashville are here.
Last fall, for instance, the National Cemetery Administration purchased more than 200 acres in Meigs County to expand the Chattanooga National Cemetery. The expansion may end up competing with funding for the planned Upper Cumberland state veterans cemetery project.
Related:The story behind Knoxville's East Tennessee Veterans Memorial begins in Normandy
Who is eligible for burial at veterans cemeteries?
Eligibility of a national or state veterans cemetery is the same, Knowles said.
The rules are detailed, but broadly, any member of the armed forces who dies on duty is eligible, as well as any person who served on active duty in the armed services of the United States (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy) who was discharged or released after Sept. 7, 1980, under conditions other than dishonorable. There are provisions for commissioned officers who entered active duty after Oct. 16, 1981.
The servicemember’s spouse is eligible for burial, as well as children of servicemembers if they are under 23 years old when they die.
Burial costs for service members and their spouses is free. "You know, I think it's an honor for veterans to be able to be buried here. Our department is very serious about our veterans and their benefits and this is one of those benefits," Knowles said.
Those who served in the National Guard or reserves are not currently eligible if they did not serve active duty.
You can read details of the eligibility requirements here.
When can I visit Knoxville's state veterans cemeteries?
Facilities at both of Knoxville’s state veterans cemeteries are open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, though the grounds can be visited at any time.
Know Your Knox answers your burning questions about life in Knoxville. Want your question answered? Email knowyourknox@knoxnews.com.
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