Southern Utah National Cemetery Dedicated in Cedar City

Cedar City recently witnessed a significant event with the dedication of the Southern Utah National Cemetery on September 10, 2025.

 

Perched atop a hill just south of the Providence Center shopping area, this cemetery is set to serve as a final resting place for U.S. military veterans, service members, and their families.

 

The dedication ceremony drew approximately 300 attendees, including veterans, community members, local leaders, and officials from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.

 

Roderick "Tony" Thomas, director of the Fort Logan National Cemetery Complex, highlighted that this facility marks the VA's 157th national cemetery.

 

VA Secretary Doug Collins emphasized the cemetery's role in providing veterans in rural areas with a final resting place closer to home, stating, "Generations of families will come to visit and remember their loved ones here—a place of spiritual comfort and healing."

 

The cemetery spans 8.14 acres, acquired by the VA in September 2018, with construction commencing in September 2023.

 

The project, completed over 19 months at a cost of $11.8 million, is expected to have a $7 million economic impact on the local economy.

 

The first phase includes 28 traditional gravesites, 345 in-ground crypts, 320 columbarium niches, a memorial wall for 192 markers, and other essential facilities.

 

The first burials are scheduled to take place later this month.

 

Located at 2181 West 1600 South, Cedar City, Utah, the cemetery ensures that nearly 94% of veterans nationwide now have a VA or VA grant-funded burial option within 75 miles of their homes.

 

Veterans and eligible family members interested in burial services can contact the NCA National Scheduling Office in St. Louis or call the VA's National Cemetery Administration at 800-535-1117 for more information.