5,000th
Interment at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West
Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West (KVCW) in Hopkinsville
placed its 5,000th interment on Monday January 25, 2021 at 9:00 am.
The veteran interred was PI Jeffery Allen Smith (E-3) of the
US Navy. PI Smith was born on September 16, 1952 and passed away on
January 13, 2021. PI Smith served his country honorably during the Vietnam
period. His dates of service are from July 27, 1970 to July 22, 1974.
PI Smith will be interred in the columbarium wall in niche
CW1-4-24 .
KVCW was Kentucky’s first State Veterans Cemetery. It
opened in March 2004.
Below is a copy of PI Smith’s online obituary and picture:
Obituary for Jeffery
"Smitty" Smith
Jeffery
Allen (Smitty) Smith, age 68 of Eddyville, died at 4:35 a.m. Wednesday, January
13, 2021 at his home in Lyon County. He was preceded in death by parents Jack
D. Smith and Mary Margaret Warwick Smith. He is survived by his son Matthew
Smith and wife Amanda Smith of Erie Colorado, two grandsons Lake Allen Smith
and Tanner Lee Smith both of Erie Colorado. He was a U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran
stationed on the USS Forrestal CV-59, a member of the V.F.W. and lifetime
member of the Howard County Vietnam Veterans Organization. There will be a
private memorial service held at a later time at Veterans West National
Cemetery in Hopkinsville, KY. Dunn's Funeral Home in Eddyville is in charge of
the arrangements. Smitty would want everyone to crack open a cold one and
remember the good times.
UPDATE: In accordance with the new statewide mask mandate
from Governor Andy Beshear, all visitors to Kentucky Veterans Cemeteries MUST
wear face masks while on cemetery property unless they remain in their
cars. Thank you for your cooperation.
NOTE: Guidance is changing on a daily bases, so it is best
to call your State Veterans Cemetery for the current and most up-to-date information.On June 1, KDVA began a phased re-opening of our five State Veterans Cemeteries.
- The Administration Building will be open to visitors only to the extent they can maintain six-feet social distancing.
- Directors will provide masks for all employees and offer masks to all visitors.
- Hand sanitizers will be provided at the entrance to the
Administration Building. All staff and visitors must use hand
sanitizer.
- Memorial services will be conducted in accordance with
industry-specific guidance, including sanitizing chairs and the podium
in the Committal Shelter before each service.
- Gatherings in the committal shelter will be limited to service
participants and family, with seating and standing maintaining physical
distancing. Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear masks.
- Rifle teams for Military Honors will maintain physical distancing
from each other, the services and other guests. Military Honors team
members folding and presenting the flag will wear masks and gloves.
- Funeral directors will place flowers on the gravesite.
- Visitors to gravesites do not need to wear masks if they are members of the same family and do not interact with staff.
It
is the intent of KDVA to move from Healthy at Home to Healthy at work
while keeping our employees, veterans and their families healthy during
the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Cemeteries Branch will continue to
provide interments and perpetual care for all qualified veterans and
eligible family members in a dignified and compassionate manner worthy
of the respect and honor they richly deserve.