Members of the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation at a press conference in 2021 announcing the selection of 280-acre plot land, known as Gypsum Canyon, for establishing a local Veterans cemetery. (Photo: U.S. Navy Chief Mass Communication Specialist Elisandro T. Diaz)
After more than a decade of community efforts, proposals, setbacks, and legislative maneuvers, The Anaheim Planning Commission granted approval on June 17 for Orange County’s first Veterans cemetery to be established in Gypsum Canyon, Anaheim Hills. The planned 283-acre site is expected to be divided: half for Veterans and half for public use.
Orange County, the largest county in California lacking a Veterans cemetery, currently relies on facilities in Riverside, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties, each situated 50 to 100 miles away. Unsuccessful attempts to secure a location in Irvine prompted redirection towards Anaheim Hills, where the Orange County Cemetery District had already been planning a new facility.
Local officials stress the pressing need for additional cemetery facilities within Orange County. Currently, only El Toro Memorial Park in Lake Forest, the last of the county’s three lower-cost public cemeteries, has remaining casket space. Tim Deutsch, General Manager of the Orange County Cemetery District, forecasts that El Toro’s 650 available casket spaces will be exhausted by 2026. According to county estimates, the proposed public cemetery could accommodate burial needs for the next 80 years.
Situated adjacent to the 91 Freeway near Santa Ana Canyon Road, the Gypsum Canyon property was formerly a sand and gravel mining site that ceased operations in 2004. Donated by the Irvine Company to the county, it was subsequently conveyed to the cemetery district by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
The plan involves creating a 126-acre public cemetery managed by the Orange County Cemetery District and a 157-acre Southern California Veterans Cemetery under the control of the California Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans cemetery is designed to accommodate over 210,000 burials, primarily for cremation remains, while the public cemetery plans for 150,000 burials. Both the Veterans cemetery and the public cemetery will be developed in phases.
Under the proposal, each cemetery will host a maximum of four burial services daily, with operating hours set from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular ceremonies, including Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day events featuring a three-volley salute, are planned.
During public comments, several Veterans praised Anaheim for its supportive stance compared to previous experiences in Irvine, where opposition was encountered. Concerns voiced by residents at the Planning Commission meeting mainly centered around potential traffic issues in the vicinity.
“We won’t die without getting this through,” stated Nick Bernardino, President of the Veterans Alliance of Orange County and a Marine Corps Veteran during public comments.
Despite progress, funding remains a critical hurdle. Phase one of the Veterans cemetery development is projected to take 10 years and cost $123 million. Currently, $45 million in funding has been secured from county and state sources, with additional funding being pursued through federal grants.
Bernardino announced plans for the Veterans cemetery to seek $10 million in federal funding in the coming weeks, as well as shared expenses between the Veterans and public cemetery sections.
Following a unanimous 6-0 vote by the commission, the project advances to the Anaheim City Council for further consideration. The Anaheim City Council is scheduled to vote on the cemetery proposals in July.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.
