Missouri Veterans Cemetery-Higginsville

DYK Your local County Recorder’s Office maintains military discharges? If you have an original or certified copy, get it recorded for safe keeping. Connect with your local Veterans Service Office for more information. mvc.dps.mo.gov/service/

Today we take time to honor the children of fallen patriots. We salute the sacrifice of military children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.

The Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Higginsville will be holding our annual Memorial Day Program on Monday, May 31, 2021 at 1pm. Please remember to bring your lawn chair, and umbrella (for either shade from the sun, or rain). Looking forward to seeing you this year!

Missouri Veterans Commission and Missouri Department of Economic Development Launch New Benefits and Resource Portal for Veterans and Military Members. Read more at https://mvc.dps.mo.gov//1f055c93-0333-45cf-80d1-60edeff5d4 Visit the portal: https://veteranbenefits.mo.gov/

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, our annual Wreaths Across America Program will be conducted a little differently this year. We will be holding the Seven Ceremonial Wreath Laying part of the program privately and will post a video of the event to our Facebook page. All wreaths will be placed on the graves by cemetery personnel this year. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

We know everyone has questions when it comes to protecting others if they have been exposed to or have tested positive for COVID-19. Hopefully the chart below will give some guidance. We encourage you to social distance, wear a mask, wash your hands, minimize travel, and stay home if you have any symptoms. We understand that this is a very difficult time for everyone. We all need to do our part to keep everyone safe and healthy.

In memory of September 11, 2001.

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all who have severed or are currently serving!

Wreaths Across America is almost here. As of today, we are about 300 wreaths short. If you have not purchased a wreath for your loved ones site there is still time. Please go to https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/159184/Overview/ to donate a wreath today. Unfortunately, we can not have volunteers place wreaths this year due to COVID. The cemetery staff will make sure that all wreaths are placed. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Wreaths Across America is approaching fast. As of today, we are 700 wreaths short of our goal. Visit https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/159184/Overview/ to purchase a wreath today.

Happy Independence Day from everyone at MVC!

Thanks Dan Hawkins, you take great pictures of the cemetery!

Special announcement!

On this Memorial Day, remember the fallen, honor their service and sacrifice, and rejoice in your freedom. Memorial Day looks different this year due to COVID-19, and the cemetery not being able to have a public ceremony, but the Higginsville Veterans Cemetery has not forgotten our veterans. We don’t know them all but we owe them all.

Watch our latest video to learn how Veterans Cemeteries throughout the state are honoring the service and sacrifice of Missouri's fallen heroes.

Thanks Richard for your kind words. The Higginsville Veterans Cemetery employees are trying to honor our veterans and their families the best we can during this unusual time.

Memorial Day public ceremonies have been cancelled at all five Missouri State Veterans Cemeteries due to COVID-19 concerns. Missouri State Veterans Cemeteries continue to follow CDC and National Cemetery Administration cautionary guidelines on large gatherings of 10 or more individuals. On Memorial Day, May 25, 2020, Missouri State Veterans Cemetery Directors will render appropriate honors and lower all flags to half-staff to honor all Veterans interred in Missouri State Vete...rans Cemeteries at all five State Veteran Cemeteries. Missouri State Veterans Cemeteries are located at Bloomfield, Higginsville, Jacksonville, Springfield, and Ft. Leonard Wood. To further honor our Veterans and include citizens who will not be able to attend our ceremonies due to the current emergency, the Missouri Veterans Commission will provide a video honoring our Veterans on its social media platforms in lieu of the traditional in-person ceremony. Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day was established as a day for Americans to honor those who were killed during the Civil War. It was not until after World War I that Memorial Day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. Memorial Day was declared a national holiday in 1971 and was placed on the last Monday in May. For more information contact Jim Nugent 660-295-4237

Veterans Commission commends Executive Director Grace Link as she accepts position with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Ryon Richmond appointed Interim Exec...utive Director of Missouri Veterans Commission JEFFERSON CITY - Chairman Tim Noonan announces effective May 31, 2020, Col. Grace Link is stepping down as the Executive Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission. Link will continue to serve Missouri veterans, but will now do so as a part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans commissioners accepted Link’s resignation during an executive session meeting on Tuesday night, April 21, and appointed MVC Deputy Director Ryon Richmond as the Interim Executive Director effective June 1, 2020. "As Executive Director, Col. Link has tirelessly devoted herself to ensuring that Missouri's heroes received the care they deserve. Caring for our veterans starts with respect and dignity, especially for those on the frontlines working in our Veterans Homes, serving as Veteran Service Officers, or providing funeral services in our Veterans Cemeteries," Chairman Noonan said. "Grace was a decisive leader in challenging times, such as deciding in early March that restricting access to our Veterans Homes was the right thing to do to protect our Missouri heroes. Newly developed metrics on care and satisfaction point to significant improvement in the lives of the more than 1,100 Missouri veterans in our homes. Grace made a distinct, positive difference." Noonan credited Link, the commission’s first woman executive director, with establishing new levels of transparency and open communications among all stakeholders, including commissioners, veterans and their families, Veterans Service Organizations, volunteers and all 1,650 MVC team members. He said Link connected with peers nationally and brought new ideas and metrics to Missouri. He also said she changed the culture at the state's Veterans Homes and throughout the entire organization. "Our goal is to be the best state in the country for veterans, and Grace took us a long way toward achieving that goal. Her handling of the COVID-19 crisis has been particularly impressive. Our Veterans Homes have been a model for keeping the virus out," Noonan said. "The Veterans Commission has been my toughest and most rewarding assignment, said Link, who is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. I have seen our wonderful MVC staff provide the most compassionate care to the elderly at a time in their lives when they need it the most. They are truly heroes serving heroes! I will sincerely miss my MVC teammates, but know that I am leaving them in very capable hands." Led by the appointed commissioners, the Missouri Veterans Commission has begun the process of selecting a new executive director. Deputy Director Ryon Richmond will serve as the MVC Interim Executive Director while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement. Richmond is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University and the Army War College. Richmond has over 30 years of service with the U.S. Army and Missouri Army National Guard, retiring as a colonel in 2017. Richmond held many leadership posts during his career and concluded his career as the Joint Force HQ Deputy U.S Property and Fiscal Officer at National Guard headquarters in Jefferson City. Before joining MVC in 2019, he was the Training and Exercise Program Manager at the State Emergency Management Agency. The Missouri Veterans Commission serves 485,000 Missouri veterans through the selfless service of 1,650 employees in seven State Veterans Homes, five State Veterans Cemeteries, and its Veterans Services Program. END

MVC Cemetery Offices Temporarily Closed to (In-Office) Visits The Missouri Veterans Cemeteries, following CDC recommendations, will: limit attendance to no more than 10 people at committal services, the cemetery administration office will not conduct in-house visits,... staff will provide scheduling and administrative services by telephone, mail, and email only until further notice. This action is in light of concerns regarding COVID-19, The National Cemetery Administration is strongly urging that all committal services adhere to the CDC guidelines.