A new veteran's cemetery to be owned and operated by the state will be dedicated in a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday in Spanish Fort.
Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner retired Rear Admiral W. Clyde Marsh said it was appropriate that the cemetery is being dedicated on Pearl Harbor Day.
It's the first veteran's cemetery owned and operated by the state of Alabama.
The cemetery's first phase covers 22.8 acres and will include an administration building, maintenance facility, committal shelter and memorial walk.
Burials of veterans who served honorably, their spouses and eligible dependents are expected to begin in early 2013.
The veterans' cemetery is on Alabama 225 in Spanish Fort in Baldwin County across from Fort Blakeley State Park.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.