FORT GIBSON — U.S. Air Force veteran Ed Smith said he’s glad to hear about big improvements planned for the Fort Gibson National Cemetery.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has allotted $141,375 for improvement projects and equipment purchases there.

The money is one slice of approximately $50 million for 391 projects at national cemeteries and other sites managed by the National Cemetery Administration. The VA received the funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Those projects include the nation’s 131 national cemeteries.

Fort Gibson National Cemetery is spending $44,425 on improvements to its front entrance and flagpole areas and nearly $97,000 on vehicles and equipment to support grounds maintenance and interment operations. They will also be able to offer a new option of placing cremation urns in wall niches.

Smith, 69, praised the Fort Gibson cemetery’s reputation among those throughout the nation.

“The Fort Gibson cemetery is very well run,” he said. “It’s a nice place out there. It really is. It’s not like what’s been going on at Arlington National Cemetery, where some graves have been mixed up.”

He said the changes will touch the hearts of military family and friends. He added that military cemeteries like the one in Fort Gibson are about honoring the fallen and comforting their families.

“They know their loved ones are well taken care of and always will be,” he said. “Our soldiers paid a tremendous price,” he said. “I’m all for it. We (the Rolling Thunder veterans tribute group) ride our bikes out there and do whatever we can.”

The Fort Gibson cemetery has 20,125 people interred in 17,388 sites. The difference in the two numbers is double interments where a spouse also is buried.

Carefully-arranged rows of white stone spread out in all directions. A few shade trees dot the quiet landscape. Visitors are generally quiet, murmuring to each other as they walk.

Tim Spain, cemetery director for Fort Gibson and Fort Sill, said he first heard about the cemetery funding last fiscal year when the Obama administration announced a stimulus package. The money was made available during a 18-month time span.

“Over that 18 months, funding was distributed to our Memorial Service Network across the nation,” he said. “It was in stages so it wouldn’t overwhelm our contracting departments.”

Spain said none of their regular budget would have covered the improvements to signage at the entrance to the facility and to a flagpole inside the cemetery where patriotic ceremonies are held.

“Our existing operating budget for this year was $665,000,” he said. “The bulk of that is for personnel — about $500,000 (for 10 total employees).”

Some new funding will pay for new equipment used for interment operations and grounds operations.

“That is approximately a 50-50 split,” he said. “We have 32 acres, and we’re getting ready to gain 16, which will bring us up to (more than) 40 acres at the end of September. Most of that growth is toward the west.”

Information: 478-2334.

Reach Keith Purtell at 6884-2925 or kpurtell @muskogeephoenix.com.