CNMI breaks ground for new veterans’ cemetery

Though this comes late in the day, the CNMI can at least claim that it is not the last U.S. territory to be given a grant to construct a veterans’ cemetery. That dubious honor goes to American Samoa.

This came about after government officials broke ground yesterday morning for the CNMI Veterans’ Cemetery at Banzai Cliff in Marpi—a happy event after several years of waiting.

During his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Gov. Juan N. Babauta said, “Finally we have a resting place for our veterans who are now departed and this is going to be a shrine.” He said the soon-to-be-built cemetery would be a resting place for those who had served the country in uniform.

Military and Veterans Affairs Office executive officer Ruth Coleman earlier said the negotiations for the project began in the 1990s between the CNMI and the U.S. Veterans Affairs Office, which promised the funding but due to the original design, the allotted amount was not enough to execute the project.

The governor, she said, revived negotiations in 2002 that resulted in a new design that fell within the budget for the veterans cemetery. The site for the cemetery was identified back then just right behind Banzai Cliff in Marpi.

Several members of local government offices attended the affair yesterday morning. Rev. Florentino “Nonoy” Recaido led the invocation and Office of the Insular Affairs field representative Jeff Schorr offered brief congratulatory remarks, followed by lead guest speaker, Commander Naval Forces Marianas Rear Admiral Charles J. Leidig Jr.

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson, in a message read during the event, said he regretted his absence on the historic occasion, “one that marks an important change in the lives of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands veterans and their loved ones.”

He said his office is honored to have been a partner in the development of the cemetery. “You are providing veterans and their loved ones with a final resting place that commemorates their selfless service to our nation.”

Several veterans also attended the event. Retired Capt. Joe Sonoda said it was wonderful to finally realize the project since he was also part of its conceptualization.

“It’s good for us veterans and I’m proud that it is happening now,” Sonoda said. He said they thought the project would not push through.

Another veteran, Pantaleon Valenzuela, said he is happy and thanks the U.S. Veterans Affairs Office for helping veterans like him.

Coleman said in her closing remarks that freedom does not come without a price. “We can never adequately thank those who have defended our freedom. But we can honor them, and our national veterans cemeteries are one of the most important ways in which we do so,” she said.

Coleman thanked the local government and its agencies for the support for the CNMI veterans.

RIM Architects is the designer of the CNMI Veterans Cemetery, while Maeda Pacific Corp. is the contractor. The contract amount for the project is $1.66 million. The target completion date for the cemetery is within 365 calendar days from notice to proceed, which was yesterday.