National Cemetery, Rapides Parish ,Louisiana
Submitted by Gaytha Thompson

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NATIONAL CEMETERY "CLOSED"
Source: The Alexandria Town Talk, May 31, 1998

A fitting way for veterans to be remembered after years of dedicated service
to their country is to be laid to rest in a national cemetery.

Central Louisiana residents honored the memory of those veterans who have
given their life for their country this past Memorial Day by placing American
flags on hundreds of graves at the National Cemetery in Pineville. 

Many local veterans, however, may never have the chance to be remembered in
such a way by hometown friends and neighbors. As the number of veteran deaths
continue to increase, those veterans from central Louisiana who wish to be
buried in a national cemetery must find a new place to be laid to rest.

The National Cemetery in Pineville has not been open to new burials since
1994, according to Sharon Goodrich, director of the National Cemetery in
Alexandria/Pineville and Natchez, Miss.

Ms. Goodrich said the cemetery, which has over 8,000 burial plots, is
considered a "closed cemetery" which means it is only open to second
interments of veterans already buried in the cemetery. The cemetery is now
closed because for many years, veterans were allowed to reserve plots there