Texas State Veterans Cemeteries have achieved a remarkable 99.11% customer satisfaction rate for 2024, according to an announcement from Texas Land Commissioner and Veterans Land Board (VLB) Chairwoman Dawn Buckingham, M.D., marking another year of exceptional service to military families during their most vulnerable moments.
The impressive figures place Texas well above the national average of 87.56% satisfaction among state, tribal, and territorial veterans cemeteries across the country, as documented in the 2024 Next of Kin/Family Member Satisfaction Survey.
What’s behind these consistently high scores? The Texas system excelled particularly in cemetery appearance, earning a perfect 100% satisfaction rating from families, with quality of service not far behind at 97.54%, according to state reports.
A Pattern of Excellence
This isn’t a one-off achievement. The Texas Veterans Cemetery system has shown steady improvement over recent years, climbing from 97.46% satisfaction in 2021 to 98.12% in 2022 and 99.03% in 2023, as records show.
Commissioner Buckingham expressed pride in the system’s performance: “As Chairwoman, caring for our Veterans and their families, including Veterans being laid to rest, is something we take very seriously and will always be a top priority. The men and women who staff our VLB State Veteran Cemeteries continue to achieve excellence, and I cannot thank them enough for their hard work.”
The Texas cemetery system currently operates locations in Killeen, the Rio Grande Valley, Nueces County at Coastal Bend, and Abilene. A fifth cemetery is slated to open in Lubbock this December, as announced by the Texas General Land Office.
Such high satisfaction ratings are particularly meaningful given the emotionally charged nature of cemetery services. Families surveyed evaluated everything from staff courtesy and professionalism to overall cemetery experience, consistently rating Texas facilities at the top tier of service providers.
The exceptional performance comes amid increasing demands on veterans services nationwide, with the Department of Veterans Affairs facing challenges in many areas of veteran support. Yet cemetery services, particularly in Texas, remain a bright spot.
Commissioner Buckingham added a personal commitment along with the announcement: “It’s my promise to all Texans to continue to provide the highest quality of service to Texas Veterans and their families.”
For families of the nearly 1.5 million veterans who call Texas home, the quality of these final services represents more than just numbers on a survey — it’s a fitting tribute to those who served.
