Business
Texans invited to attend Dedication & Ribbon Cutting of West Texas State Veterans Cemetery - Odessa American
The West Texas State Veterans Cemetery opened Friday on East 50th Street in Lubbock, giving more than 21,000 area veterans and their eligible family members a dedicated burial ground for the first time. Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham led the dedication and ribbon cutting at 4614 E.
Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham led the dedication and ribbon cutting at 4614 E. 50th St. At 10 a.m. The groundbreaking happened in November 2023, meaning the cemetery went from dirt to dedication in less than two years.
The Veterans Land Board runs the cemetery under the Texas General Land Office. It is the fifth Texas State Veterans Cemetery the VLB has built and operates statewide.
For families across the South Plains who have lost a veteran, this means a permanent, state-maintained option close to home rather than a long drive to the nearest facility. That matters in a region this spread out, where the next closest comparable cemetery could mean hours on the road during an already difficult time.
Texas has more than 1.5 million veterans, yet this is only the fifth cemetery of its kind the state has opened.
Common questions
Where is the West Texas State Veterans Cemetery located?
- The cemetery is at 4614 E. 50th St. in Lubbock. It opened with a dedication and ribbon cutting led by Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, less than two years after groundbreaking began in November 2023.
Who is eligible to be buried at the West Texas State Veterans Cemetery?
- More than 21,000 area veterans and their eligible family members qualify for burial at the cemetery. It is operated by the Texas Veterans Land Board under the Texas General Land Office, the same agency that runs four other state veterans cemeteries in Texas.
Why does Lubbock having its own veterans cemetery matter?
- South Plains families no longer have to make a long drive to the nearest veterans cemetery. The West Texas State Veterans Cemetery gives local veterans and their families a permanent, state-maintained burial option right here in Lubbock for the first time.
Stay in the loop
Weekly Lubbock news, deals, and events. Free.