First veterans cemetery owned, operated by state is dedicated

ANDERSON — About two dozen veterans dressed in fully decorated and pressed uniforms stood straight for the rifle salute, followed by taps, at a place where heroes will be buried.

The crowd, including roughly 200 civilians, gathered Friday for the dedication of the M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery, the first state-owned and operated veterans cemetery in South Carolina.

"It's been a long time coming," said Merrill Nixon of Anderson, a Navy retiree. "Finally, they've got a place they can really say, 'Rest in Peace.' "

Tucked away near the Georgia line, these 59 acres will have room for the burial of more than 16,000 veterans who either joined the military as a South Carolinian, or died as one, plus their spouses.

"The heart of a community, the spirit of a state, the soul of a nation, are soldiers, war heroes, airmen, Marines, seamen; men and women who are willing to give everything for their nation," 3rd District U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett said during the ceremony. "The men and women in this cemetery will meet my savior, Jesus Christ, and he will say, 'Well done, my faithful servant, an American hero.' "

Fifty-nine burials have been completed since December, and 525 more are pre-certified, according to Larry Montandon, cemetery superintendent. Once needed, the second half of the land will be made available for more burials, he said.

The cemetery, seven years in the works, is named for Cooper, 87, a corporal in the Army's 30th Infantry Division, who fought in the Normandy Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Cooper served in the state Legislature from 1974 to 1990, having been replaced by his son Rep. Dan Cooper, a Piedmont Republican who now chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.

William Tuerk, undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs, said the "sacred grounds" are intended as a tribute for all of South Carolina's 400,000 veterans.

"May we never forget their sacrifice, may we never forget the legacy of freedom," Tuerk said.

Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson, sponsored legislation in 2001 that started the process. The cemetery, funded by a $5.1 million federal grant, joins national veterans burial grounds in Beaufort and Florence. A third national cemetery is planned for Fort Jackson in Columbia.

Nixon, who served three stints as commander for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5996 in Anderson, said the drive from Charleston to visit the cemetery would be well worth the trip.

"It'll give you goose pimples," he said.

Reach Yvonne Wenger at ywenger@postandcourier.com or 803-799-9051.