The /mdva/memorials/stateveteranscemeteries/minnesota-state-veterans-cemetery-little-falls.jspMinnesota State Veterans Cemetery - Little Falls has received the Operational Excellence Award from the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), a division of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The Little Falls State Veterans Cemetery is the only State Veterans Cemetery in the country to receive this recognition for federal fiscal year 2021.

This award follows a July 2021 NCA National Cemetery Compliance Review that resulted in an average score of 96.3% including meeting 100% of critical priority level standards. The compliance review examines 95 standards to ensure the best possible experience for families of Veterans interred at the cemeteries in categories such as Interment Operations, Grounds Maintenance, Headstone, Marker and Niche Cover, Equipment Maintenance, and other standards.

On March 24, Fort Snelling National Cemetery Complex Assistant Director Marcus Sysverson, representing the National Cemetery Administration, presented the award. He shared a message from Matthew Quinn, VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs: “To qualify for the Operational Excellence Award, your cemetery underwent a rigorous independent review by a team of NCA subject matter experts…they determined that you met or exceeded national targets for key management and operational areas.”

“Thank you for this recognition. We perform an important duty and a fulfilling job,” said Erik Sogge, Cemetery Administrator. “I’m so proud to work with the team here. This achievement is even more meaningful during a year when we had the highest number of annual interments in our history and were dealing with the pandemic as well.”

In 2021, the Little Falls Cemetery interred 599 Veterans or spouses versus an average annual total over the past five years of 493. Since opening in 1994, more than 9,000 Veterans and spouses have been interred there.

The award was not a surprise, according to MDVA Deputy Commissioner Brad Lindsay. The Little Falls State Veterans Cemetery has a reputation for the highest quality and was recognized for operational excellence in previous compliance reviews that resulted in a similar award in 2011.

MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke echoed those remarks, stating: “ This award is a testament to the team’s hard work and commitment to achieving perfection. I am very proud of the entire team.”

This commitment to excellence is demonstrated throughout the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, where the service and sacrifice of Minnesota’s Veterans is honored with dignity and respect. In addition to the Little Falls location, Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries are located in /mdva/memorials/stateveteranscemeteries/minnesota-state-veterans-cemetery-preston.jspPreston and /mdva/memorials/stateveteranscemeteries/minnesota-state-veterans-cemetery-duluth.jspDuluth. A fourth State Veterans Cemetery is currently under construction in /mdva/memorials/stateveteranscemeteries/minnesota-state-veterans-cemetery-redwood-falls.jspRedwood Falls and is expected to open on Veterans Day, November 11, 2022.

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