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Lake Forest Today
By the People, for the People
Officials: $10 Million More in Funding Boosts Progress on Orange County Veterans Cemetery
New federal pledge and upcoming feasibility study bring the long-awaited project closer to reality.
Published on Mar. 1, 2026
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has offered $10 million in federal funding to the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) toward the construction of the Southern California State Veterans Cemetery in Orange County. This new funding, along with an expected feasibility study this spring, is seen as real progress in the decade-long effort to establish a veterans cemetery in the county, which is the largest in California without one.
Why it matters
Orange County is home to an estimated 84,000 veterans, one-third of whom are 75 or older, who have long advocated for a final resting place close to home. The new cemetery would provide burial space for veterans and their families in the region, addressing a critical need.
The details
The Anaheim City Council approved plans in 2024 for the 283-acre Gypsum Canyon site to host both the veterans cemetery and Orange County's fourth public cemetery. State and county officials have secured $65 million of the estimated $126 million needed for the first phase. The new federal funding will help cover additional costs, and a required feasibility study is expected by May 2026.
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offered $10 million in federal funding to CalVet in 2026.
- The Anaheim City Council approved the cemetery plans in 2024.
- Efforts to establish a veterans cemetery in Orange County began more than a decade ago, in 2013.
The players
Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva
A Fullerton Democrat who has long advocated for the proposed veterans cemetery in Orange County.
California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)
The state agency that will oversee the construction and operation of the Southern California State Veterans Cemetery.
Orange County Cemetery District
The local agency that operates cemeteries in Anaheim, Lake Forest, and Santa Ana, and is collaborating with CalVet on the new cemetery project.
What they’re saying
“For years, veterans and their families in Orange County and across Southern California have fought to secure a final resting place close to home. Today, we're closer than ever to making that promise a reality.”
— Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva
“It's a great thing they got additional funding. We're trying to do everything we can to become as cost-effective and cost-efficient as possible.”
— Tim Deutsch, Orange County Cemetery District General Manager
What’s next
CalVet is expected to complete a new feasibility study by the end of April or beginning of May 2026, which will help state and local officials initiate the first phase of the cemetery project.
The takeaway
The new federal funding and upcoming feasibility study mark significant progress in the decade-long effort to establish a veterans cemetery in Orange County, the largest county in California without one. This project will provide a much-needed final resting place for the region's aging veteran population close to their homes and families.
