VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On his first trip to the site as Virginia's governor, Glenn Youngkin visited the soon-to-open Jones and Cabacoy Veterans Care Center near Virginia Beach's municipal complex on Tuesday afternoon.
“It's the idea that we should want our veterans to stay here and not move away, where in fact Virginia is better off because our veterans are here," he told a crowd of eager visitors.
This year, one chapter closes but another begins after a years-long journey in the city. State and city leaders first broke ground on the center in 2017 under then-Governor Terry McAullife. The 128-bed inpatient care facility is designed to provide nursing care, memory care, and more for the region’s veterans.
Now, the building is months away from opening for its first patients.
“There will be four veteran care centers around the Commonwealth: one in Roanoke, Richmond, one here opening soon, and one that looks exactly like it in Fauquier County. These four facilities provide most needed support and care.”
Gov. Youngkin received a tour of the facility alongside the First Lady of Virginia, saying the resources in place to improve simple aspects of life some others may take for granted is what sets this effort apart for the region’s veterans.
"I just was in what will be a full functioning gym with a most important attribute, an automobile, there to help veterans with the simple task of getting in and out of a car. Think about how important that is: independence, self-sufficiency, and pride come with the ability to take care of yourself, getting in and out of your car and driving somewhere," he said.
The center’s name honors the lives of two war heroes: Colonel William Jones III and Sergeant Christopher Cabacoy, both from the Hampton Roads area.
Gov. Youngkin also ceremoniously donated a quarter of his yearly salary to the Virginia Veterans Services Foundation.