The Orange County Board of Supervisors agreed to have its staff study and advise whether county-owned open space might be a feasible location for an Orange County Veterans Cemetery. The approximately 234-acre site is the city of Anaheim, near the 91 and 241, adjacent to Gypsum Canyon.

Several veterans attended the board session in Santa Ana and spoke in support of studying the county land, including long-time leaders of the effort to find a site for a veterans cemetery in Orange County.

“We need a cemetery,” Nick Beradino said. “when our country asked us to stand up and fight, we fought. We never asked questions, we went. Now, when we came over here today, we could barely walk, most of us are disabled”<br />said Beradino, the president of VALOR, an advocacy group fighting for a Veterans cemetery. “We ask you to now be our heroes. We cannot do it without you.”

Procedurally, there was no vote on the issue. Supervisor Spitzer directed the staff to perform the study, after each supervisor spoke in support of the process, and thanked the veterans for attending. “I am a direct beneficiary of your sacrifices,” said Supervisor Do, whose family emigrated from Vietnam. “I’ve had the privilege of living my entire life free,” Do said while thanking the veterans, most of whom had served in Vietnam. “It’s long overdue. We need a veterans cemetery.”