Knoxville — The East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery is undergoing a major expansion, and is using a new way to bury those who have passed that is expected to save time and expense.
"Everyone here. We're all dedicated and devoted to serving," cemetery director Kevin Knowles said. "They've given part of their lives for our freedoms."
Serving the families of those who served will be much easier for Knowles and his staff after this expansion.
"What we're doing is expanding the cemetery itself," Knowles said.
The expansion means doing something cemeteries do often - digging a hole. But this one's bigger, and it's going to house lawn crypts.
It's going to let the cemetery bury 2,700 people in a large hole dug by construction equipment.
"Lawn crypts, which are below ground, concrete structures the caskets go into," Knowles said.
It's a way to bury those who have passed that Knowles says has only been done at a few cemeteries across the nation.
"So this really helps space-wise, and again it does with our caretakers," he said. "We take care of two cemeteries here in East Tennessee, and our staff is somewhat limited. So it helps free them up to be able to take care of the mowing, setting up the headstones, and opening the graves."
They open about three graves a day, which is part of the reason why the cemetery received the grant.
"They do look at the way the cemetery is kept up, of course they look at the size of the cemetery, how many burials you're doing," Knowles said.
Giving Knowles and his staff a new way to honor those who have died after serving.
"We all just step above and beyond and do the best that we can to take care of our servicemen here," he said.
The project should be finished by Veterans Day.
Knowles said it really helps the staff if veterans can pre-register for burial. If you're interested in making arrangements, you can call them at 865-577-3228.