The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides military veterans with memorials after they pass. There are a few simple steps to order a headstone, marker, or medallion at no cost for your loved one. 

How to Order a Veteran’s Headstone, Marker, or Medallion

1. Determine Eligibility

The VA has several eligibility criteria. You can order a memorial if you’re a family member of the deceased, a designated personal representative, a representative of a congressionally chartered veteran service organization, or a veterans’ representative in your local government. You may also request one if you are legally responsible for handling unclaimed remains or memorializing the deceased. If the decedent’s service ended before April 6, 1917, anyone can apply for the benefits. If you have questions, reach out to the VA.

2. Choose the Material & Symbols

The VA can provide three options: a headstone, marker, or medallion. You can choose upright headstones made of marble or granite, flat bronze markers without a base, flat marble or granite markers, a bronze niche, or medallions to attach to a privately purchased gravestone or memorial.

3. Fill Out & Send Forms

To apply for a headstone, grave marker, or niche cover, fill out this form. This form applies to medallions. The memorial must be sent to a business address, preferably a local monument company. Include the legal name of the deceased, the military branch in which they served, and their birth and death date. With approval, you can also add the highest military rank they attained, awards and war service, a religious symbol, a nickname, a term of endearment, or a special military unit ID. Someone at the monument company taking delivery of the memorial will need to sign the form. Cemetery rules require memorials placed on grave sites to have concrete foundations. Arrangements can be made with your chosen monument company to prepare a concrete foundation and deliver headstones and markers to the cemetery or if it is bronze they can often attach it to a monument. 

Hirons Memorial Works Inc. is proud to assist veterans and their families in fulfilling their burial needs. Contact them to arrange delivery and for assistance filling out forms. They’ve served Mount Orab, OH, for over 80 years, making superior products and customer service a priority. They craft monuments, tombstones, and memorials, and they also handle custom engraving and etching. Visit their website to learn more, and call (888) 444-6356 to speak with a representative.