According to recent statistics, around 10% of West Virginia’s population are military veterans. In Kentucky and Ohio, around 6% of their populations are veterans. WV Department of Veterans Assistance cabinet secretary, Ted Diaz, said his office helps process $2.47 billion of disability pensions, housing and educational benefits claims a year. Around 1,600 veterans and their families have been laid to rest at the Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery since it opened in 2012. Burial and funeral services comes at no cost to a veterans’ family.