Officials at Fort Jackson will be holding a dedication for a new national cemetery October 26, 2008, at 2 pm at 4170 Clemson Road. The dedication will be open to the public with parking available at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield parking lot. Approximately 1,000 people are expected to attend the event. The featured speaker for the dedication is William Tuerk, the undersecretary for Memorial Affairs.

The new cemetery is part of the largest expansion of national cemeteries since the Civil War. It is one of five new cemeteries opening across the country. The Fort Jackson National Cemetery and its benefits will be available to previously unserved veterans in South Carolina.

The Fort Jackson National Cemetery sits on 585 acres of land. Ninety- two acres will be developed in two phases. Phase one will consist of temporary roads and structures along a 24- acre section of the cemetery. It will provide full casket and cremation burials. Phase two will provide permanent features for the cemetery.

The Fort Jackson Cemetery joins Beaufort National Cemetery and Florence National Cemetery as a benefit to veterans of South Carolina. It is expected to open by late November 2008.