Work is officially underway for the Nebraska Veterans' Cemetery in Alliance. It will be the first state cemetery for veterans and their families.

At a groundbreaking ceremony, the director of the State Cemetery Grants Program for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs presented a check for $2.9 million for the first phase of construction. The 12-acre area will include more than 2,500 burial sites, roadways, walking paths, and an entry monument. When it's finished, the cemetery will accomodate 8,500 burial sites on 20 acres.

"This day has been eagerly anticipated by the community of Alliance," Governor Dave Heineman said. "This will be a place for Nebraskans to pay tribute to the men and women who served this nation. It will ensure that we always remember the sacrifices they made for our freedom and that of people around the world."

The idea for the project began in 1995, when community leaders suggested the idea of a cemetery for veterans to the Alliance City Council. The city donated land that was part of the Alliance Air Base used to train paratroopers in the 1940's.

In 2006, Sen. Louden sponsored LB 996, which established the Nebraska State Veteran Cemetery System and allowed the state to contribute to cemetery projects.

The cemetery will be run by the Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs.