Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene

Thanks to the extreme generosity of the Abilene community, we are excited to share that the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene has raised over $26,000 to purchase and install three new War Memorials to honor servicemembers and Veterans who served in WWII, Korea and the Persian Gulf. We are beyond grateful for all the love and support you show our Veterans and military members.

Thank you so much to Marquez Tree Care for coordinating the semi-annual clean up day at the cemetery earlier this month. We are beyond grateful for their hard work and unwavering support.

More from Marquez Tree Care:
The numbers are in: we had 69 volunteers plus the dedicated staff at the cemetery from 14 organizations, along with several community members, who came together for the veterans cemetery cleanup. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we completed all planned projects in record time. We cleaned approximately 2,900 headstones, the multiple columbariums , the memory walk, and the monuments. Additionally, we applied a fresh layer of mulch to eight flower beds, deep-cleaned another, and weeded multiple shrubs and plants. Our volunteers also performed annual maintenance on 24 trees, including removing deadwood, trimming suckers, structure pruning, and raising branches as needed.
A special team cleaned out a ditch area that has been a challenge due to mud and overgrown weeds, a project we’ve been tackling for several visits. Overall, it was an incredibly productive day, allowing us to complete months' worth of projects in a single event. The day-to-day demands often make it difficult to address these seemingly simple tasks, so having a focused day with so many volunteers was invaluable.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to every volunteer who participated. Your dedication and hard work made this day a success. We also want to thank the cemetery staff for their unwavering commitment. Many of them have served in the military themselves, making their contribution even more meaningful.
We feel truly blessed to have had this opportunity and look forward to continuing our efforts to honor our service members. This cleanup is just a small token of our gratitude for their immense sacrifices. Thank you all!
Organizations represented:
Marquez Tree Care
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Home Instead
United States Air Force
Men of Nehemiah
Masterscapes
Veterans Roofing
Troop 272
Big Country Family Chiropractic
Chic Fil A
Southern Guy Innovations
Love and Care Ministries
Abilene Hockey
Adorn Your Space

Texas VLB Executive Secretary and U.S. Army Veteran Tony Dale provided Memorial Day remarks at Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our great nation so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. We are forever grateful for their service and they will never be forgotten🇺🇸

Our phone lines are currently down. If you need to contact the cemetery, please call 325-721-5159.

Join us for a Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 27, at 11 a.m., featuring the Abilene Community Band, Dyess AFB Honor Guard, and Special Guest Speaker VLB Executive Secretary Tony Dale.

Save the date! Join us on May 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a heartfelt endeavor to honor our Veterans and their families by cleaning headstones, assisting with flower beds, and various tasks. Please feel free to show up if you’re able to volunteer. Thank you for always supporting Texas Veterans! Sign up here: https://bit.ly/4d64orb

VLB's four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries will offer extended visiting hours during the spring and summer to account for longer days! Our new hours will be 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. from April 1 - September 30 and 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. October 1 - March 31. We hope these longer hours will provide more time to see and spend with your loved ones.

Your State Veterans Cemetery team works hard to ensure our grounds are in pristine condition to honor our Veterans and loved ones laid to rest. If you notice anything out of place or a section that needs attention, please report it to the cemetery staff in the main office or call 325-673-4446. We'll take action to get the situation corrected. Thank you for all your support.

Save the date! Wreath pick up at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene will be on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 9 a.m. No RSVP is necessary. Please feel free to show up if you’re able to volunteer. Thank you for always supporting Texas Veterans!

The Texas State Veterans Cemeteries are places of peace and reflection. During the holiday season, we want to ensure family members and friends have extra time to visit their loved ones. This Sunday, December 24th, and Monday, December 25th, all four of our Texas State Veterans Cemeteries will be open 24 hours a day for the public to commune with their loved ones. We wish everyone healing and solace during this Christmas season.

We're excited to announce that the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony will take place on Saturday, December 16, at 11 a.m. The cemetery will host a short ceremony, immediately followed by the laying of wreaths. Volunteers are encouraged to participate. No RSVP is required. Members of the community can sponsor a wreath here: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/17203/Overview/?relatedId=150000 Thank you so much for all your support!

VLB Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham is thrilled to announce that 99% of respondents in the VA's 2023 Satisfaction Survey were satisfied with their overall experience at our four Texas State Veterans Cemeteries in Killeen, Mission, Abilene and Corpus Christi. We are honored to serve our Veterans when they need us the most. Learn more here: https://www.glo.texas.gov/the-glo/news/press-releases/2023/november/commissioner-buckingham-announces-customer-satisfaction-score-of-over-99-for-texas-state-veterans-cemeteries.html

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to clean over 2500 headstones and benches, clean up the scatter garden, and manicure and trim over 33 trees. We are overwhelmed by the amazing support of our community, especially those listed below.

Marquez Tree Care
Hearts BBQ
HEB
Cooper High School Air Force JROTC
Nehemiah of Abilene
Veterans Roofing and Construction
Veterans Solar Panel Cleaning Solutions
Sting Soccer Team
XDot Academy
Trail Life
Whistle Stop RV Park
Big Country Family Chiropractic
SALT Homeschool CO-OP
Abilene Homeschool Group 0641

We could not do this without your support! Thank you again.

We are proud to announce that the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene is participating in Operation Green Light for Veterans. This initiative is designed to shine a light on the service of our Veterans and their families and to show them our unwavering support. Learn more here: https://www.naco.org/program/operation-green-light-veterans

Wreath sponsorships for our annual Wreath Laying Ceremony are still needed. Wreaths may be sponsored securely online at www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/TX0205. Wreaths Across America contributes one wreath for every two purchased when you use the link above or via check if you use include our Cemetery number TX0205. Thank you for all your support!

Join us on Veterans Day, Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. for a Flag Placement Ceremony and Colors Presentation. Thank you to the Abilene and surrounding communities for always supporting Texas Veterans and their families 🇺🇸

Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman and Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. announces the City of Abilene has assumed daily management of the Texas State Veterans Cemetery (TSVC) in Abilene. The terms of this agreement went into effect on October 1, 2023. However, the cemetery remains under VLB ownership. Read more:

Commissioner Buckingham Announces VLB Partnership with City of Abilene to Manage Texas State Veterans Cemetery Commissioner Buckingham Announces VLB Partnership with City of Abilene to Manage Texas State Veterans Cemetery

Today, we had the great privilege of unveiling the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene. Several local Veterans groups, the community and cemetery staff worked tirelessly to ensure that our Vietnam Veterans are NEVER forgotten. It's an honor to continue to serve them and their families.