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Sponsor urges state support to make Chillicothe site a Veterans National Cemetery
Summary
Representative Johnson told the Veterans and Military Development Committee that three undeveloped parcels near Chillicothe VA (about 400 acres each) could provide a 1,200-acre site for a national veterans cemetery and that Dayton National Cemetery expects capacity constraints within five years.
Representative Johnson urged the committee to support House Concurrent Resolution 27, which would endorse use of existing state land near the Chillicothe VA facility to establish a new national veterans cemetery.
"This resolution would support the use of state existing state land for a new Veterans National Cemetery in Chillicothe," Johnson said, citing the site's WWI-era Camp Sherman history and the proximity to VA services. He described three adjoining parcels, each "over 400 acres," that together could offer up to about 1,200 acres adjacent to the VA facility.
Johnson told members the Chapel on the Chillicothe VA campus seats 400 and can accommodate up to 600 disabled individuals in wheelchairs and described the VA facility's services, including mental health care and long-term care. He said Dayton National Cemetery inters about "63,000 veterans" and that officials anticipate existing capacity to be reached "within the next five years," creating a need for additional burial capacity.
During questions, Representative Thomas confirmed the land is "absolutely nothing" in current use and Johnson said the proposal anticipates federal funding for a national cemetery. Johnson noted the land is currently owned by the State of Ohio and that transferring it to the federal government for a national cemetery would likely require additional legislation and a legislative vote.
The committee thanked Johnson for his testimony; the resolution's passage would signal the legislature's support and serve as a first step toward any subsequent property transfer or enabling legislation.
