Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veterans Cemetery topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orange County leaders, Valor honor veterans and highlight Gypsum Canyon cemetery plan
Summary
County supervisors and Valor leaders opened the meeting with a Veterans Day program; supervisors praised performers, thanked Valor and outlined next steps for a proposed veterans cemetery at Gypsum Canyon, saying the county has donated land and committed $20 million toward the project.
Doug Chaffee, chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, opened the Nov. 4 meeting by inviting Valor — Veterans Alliance of Orange County — to present a Veterans Day program and recognize the county’s veterans.
Nick Bernardino of Valor introduced performers Andrea Miller and Ron Kobayashi, whose patriotic songs drew praise from supervisors. "That was incredibly moving," Chaffee said after the performance, thanking the artists and Valor for the ceremony.
Supervisor Don Wagner, whose district contains the chosen site, described the cemetery effort in detail. "The board has identified an absolutely spectacular site in my district," Wagner said, adding that "We have donated the land free of charge. We have put $20,000,000 towards the project." He said the county had met with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary in charge of cemeteries and stood ready to transfer the land to CalVet to begin construction.
Other supervisors echoed the praise for Valor and urged continued support for veterans services. "We will continue to lean into supporting our veterans," one supervisor said, noting county roles in workforce and housing support for veterans.
Valor representatives used the occasion both to honor veterans and to thank staff who have worked on the cemetery effort. The presentation included recognition of Valor staff and volunteers and a short memento exchange with the board.
The board did not take a formal vote on the cemetery during the session, but supervisors discussed upcoming steps: a legislative hearing with Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk Silva and continued outreach with state and federal partners. Officials said more funding remains needed to finish the project and encouraged community support.
Next steps: supervisors said they expect continued coordination with state agencies and Valor, and indicated the project will return for further board actions as necessary.
