Headstones, Markers, and Memorial Items for Veterans

What each item is

Sources: VA.gov, headstones, markers and medallions; VA.gov, burial flags; VA.gov, Presidential Memorial Certificates.

Headstone, marker, or niche marker

A headstone stands upright. A marker lies flat on the ground. A niche marker goes on a columbarium niche. The VA offers these standard types:

A veteran gets a government headstone or marker, or a medallion, but not both. Cemeteries often limit which types they allow, so check with the cemetery before you choose.

Source: VA National Cemetery Administration, headstone and marker types.

Who is eligible

• Veterans and service members who did not receive a dishonorable discharge and meet the service rules below. In a private cemetery, the VA provides a headstone or marker for an unmarked grave. If the veteran died on or after November 1, 1990, it can also provide one for a grave that already has a private headstone, or the family can choose a medallion to attach to that headstone instead.
• The 24-month rule: people who enlisted after September 7, 1980 (or became officers after October 16, 1981) generally must have served at least 24 continuous months, or died on active duty.
• National Guard and Reserve members who were entitled to retired pay at death, or who served in federal status beyond training.
• Spouses and dependent children buried in a national, state, or tribal veterans cemetery, or in a military post or base cemetery, may be eligible for their own marker.

Spouses and dependent children buried in a private cemetery cannot receive their own headstone or marker. They may be eligible to have their name and dates inscribed on the veteran’s headstone or marker in a private cemetery.

Source: VA.gov, headstones, markers and medallions.

VA headstone application: how to order a headstone, marker, or medallion (Form 40-1330)

The people who can apply include a family member, a personal representative, a representative of a Congressionally chartered veterans service organization, and certain government employees. For a medallion, a family member must submit the application.

• Online: through the VA’s QuickSubmit tool.
• By mail: NCA FP Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547.
• By fax: the VA lists a fax number on its forms page.
• Include copies of the discharge papers and the death certificate. The VA does not return originals.

The VA doesn’t publish a delivery time. For a private cemetery, it says to contact the cemetery, funeral home, or whoever accepts delivery if more than 60 days have passed since the claim and the grave is still unmarked. For a national or state veterans cemetery, ask the cemetery. Source: VA National Cemetery Administration, FAQs.

If the veteran is in a private cemetery

The VA provides the marker or medallion at no cost, but it does not pay for what the private cemetery charges to set it, place it, or maintain it. Those fees are set by the cemetery, so ask for them in writing. The VA also does not provide a plaque or an urn for burial in a private cemetery.

The Utah Veterans Cemetery permits only government markers, so a privately bought headstone cannot be used there. See Utah Veterans Cemetery.

Burial flag and Presidential Memorial Certificate

Burial flag

• The next of kin or a close friend of an eligible veteran or reservist can apply, using VA Form 27-2008.
• Funeral directors can usually get one. You can also go to a VA regional office or a post office, and call the post office first to confirm it has one.
• The flag can be placed with an urn for a cremated veteran.
• One burial flag is provided for each eligible veteran.
• The VA cannot replace a flag that is lost, destroyed, or stolen.

Presidential Memorial Certificate

• Available for a veteran or reservist who is eligible for burial in a national cemetery.
• Next of kin, family members, close friends, or a representative can request it with VA Form 40-0247, online, by mail, or in person at any VA regional office.
• It is free, more than one certificate can be requested, and the VA states no deadline. Send copies of the death certificate and the discharge papers. The VA says to call about the status if more than 4 months have passed since you applied.

Sources: VA.gov, burial flags; VA.gov, Presidential Memorial Certificates.

Questions to ask the cemetery

1. Is a government marker or medallion allowed here?
   Some cemeteries, including the Utah Veterans Cemetery, permit only government markers.
2. What are the fees to set the marker or medallion, and who does it?
   The VA does not pay these at a private cemetery.
3. Are there size or foundation rules for a flat or upright marker?
   Rules vary by cemetery, and they affect which marker you choose.
4. How soon after the burial is a marker usually set?
   The VA doesn’t publish delivery times, so the cemetery’s experience is the best guide.

Where to get official help