OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials have marked the end of an Omaha National Cemetery construction project. The open house held Wednesday included a flag-raising ceremony. The events celebrated the start of operations out of the permanent facilities. The cemetery opened for burials and other services in September 2016.

Marolyn Swanson stands among veterans as she holds the dog tags of her deceased husband Bob Swanson, during a flag raising ceremony and open house at the Omaha National Cemetery in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

The first phase of construction is providing burial options for about 10 years. Officials have said the entire 236-acre cemetery will serve the needs of more than 112,000 veterans and their families in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa for the next 100 years.

The closest national cemetery is about 180 miles away in Leavenworth, Kansas. There is a Nebraska veterans cemetery near Alliance in the Nebraska Panhandle.