Veterans with unmarked graves
i have been doing genealogy research for over 25yrs now, and it always saddens me when I see a Veterans burial info and realize he/she has never had any marker of any kind - they’re free! So why not? I ask. So I decided to try to start ordering markers for these Veterans (mostly Civil War and earlier) only to find out it’s not totally free :( it seems there is a fee that the cemetery charges for “setting” the marker, each location is different, the one place I spoke with told me the fee is $300. So I’m wondering if anyone here may know if there is some sort of foundation or organization that helps to pay for these sort of things? I have no personal connection with these veterans, I only want to try to help get markers for the people who suffered and sacrificed everything for the future… our present. I just think it’s a shame there’s nothing on their graves dedicated to their memory. I think it would be a wonderful way to say “thank you for your service, and you will never be forgotten”. However, I personally don’t have the funds to take on this sort of project so I’m hoping there’s some sort of organization I may be able to reach out to. I have searched online and haven’t been able to find anything. Yes there’s burial benefits etc for recent (WWI and after) vets, but I haven’t been able to find anything for the long ago Vets who apparently have no living relatives to help the world remember them. Thanks you :)
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This is a really good question and I'm sure there are others out there with the same thoughts as you.
From what you wrote I'm guessing you are in the South or Southeast. Your location will likely determine the response you will receive when shopping for someone to help with your project. First, I'd like to have you answer some questions so we know better how to help you.
- What is your location and the location of these graves that have gone unmarked?
- How did you determine that there is a burial at any of these given places?
- Who owns or administers the cemetery?
- What are their rules regarding who does work in the cemetery? In some areas you have to be a relative of the decedent or at least have some special permission even to clean a gravestone. When you start digging you get into a whole new can of worms and there will be some digging required without question.
If you will answer these questions I will be better able to point you in a good direction.
I'll be watching for your reply.
Warm Regards, Robert Helmig
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Hi @Robert Lindsey Helmig thank you for responding. There are many I come across when helping others with their genealogy, so there’s never been just one specific one exactly. I just do a lot of research and I learn everything I can about a family, and the extended family. Many times I come across someone and realize they have no headstone, for the vets it sounded easy, and it’s something I’ve wanted to look into trying to do for a long time. So, after speaking with the lady who oversees everything at one particular cemetery, I decided to go to the VA website and see what needs to be done for someone I’ve been researching for a few years. That’s when I found out about the “stone setting fee”… it’s a shame because these vets could have a nice stone for free… but there’s not anyone to pay the fee for setting the stone :( it seemed like a no brainer, like it would be simple but apparently there’s a lot more involved than just sending the VA the info and having a stone delivered and placed at the gravesite :( I find it interesting that you said it sounds like I’m in the south or southeast 😂 I was actually born and raised in MS 😂 but I’ve lived in New England now for about 22 years. I was thinking maybe one of the organizations like the DAR/SAR and or GAR (if that’s even still a thing?) or maybe something like a Sons/Daughters of the Confederacy would be willing to maybe start something like this for the Vets who have no markers, but I don’t really know a ton about those organizations, that’s why I was hoping someone here may know if there’s some sort of existing program similar to what I’m looking for :)
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I have been working on compiling some possibilities for you. There are several so far but I want to give you enough information to allow you to move forward with this worthwhile cause. They’re just so many if/then circumstances. Having done a lot of research regarding these circumstances I can tell you that it varies by cemetery, locale, and state. If the cemetery is privately owned or church owned the restrictions, if any exist, will likely be different. What I’m saying is that working in cemeteries is usually one big conundrum. I was working in a cemetery in Hannibal, MO that isn’t even open to the public, but yet, we did it.
If you’re up to it or have someone who can help you a little - children, husband, etc.) you might consider using flat markers from the VA instead of upright markers and then set them yourself. That would be the quickest and easiest way to do this, and the weight is not a great factor. A concrete slab from Home Depot should suffice as a base, a little coarse sand or gravel beneath to level it, and then bolt the marker down. BUT, first things first. I will provide more resources soon.
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Okay, here are a couple of possibilities for you to contact;
Sons Of Confederate Veterans.
Executive Director - Adam Southern
PO Box 59
Columbia, TN 38402
Ph.: 931-380-1844 Ext.207
Fax: 931-381-6712
“The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is an American neo-Confederate nonprofit organization of male descendants of Confederate soldiers that commemorates these ancestors, funds and dedicates monuments to them..."
United Confederate Veterans
"First introduced in 1902 and eventually enacted in 1906 was a Senate bill to supply $200,000 for the acquisition of burial grounds by the United States Government and erecting suitable headstones for Confederates buried in northern cemeteries. This ended the ongoing discussion of the fate of Confederate fallen in the North, and the care and maintenance of the stones and monuments became a federal responsibility." You might contact these organizations for help setting the stones or they might be able to direct you to whom to contact. (Notice: Generally speaking, I do not subscribe to the greater philosophies of either of these groups.)
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Beyond these, it comes back to the question of state-municipality-ownership. There are multitudes of organizations online that might be of help to you. Here again, it's largely determined by location. I suggest you search using "volunteer" as the lead in to your search. That's how I found most of the better results.
Lastly, from the better-than-nothing department, you might consider getting temporary grave markers from a memorial business. I purchased a dozen of these for about $15. You might think that someplace like Amazon will be less expensive but that's not the case. Consider that a memorial company that sells you a dozen temporary markers will be thinking that they will soon be selling you a dozen permanent markers. If you go this route try to get the ones with the plexiglass shield that covers the decedent's information.
If you chose to create the placard for the temporary marker, a template could be created with a CSA logo and then just fill in the information from your computer and print it on heavy paper or card stock.
I wish I had something more solid to give you but again, the vastness of rules and regulations is a major hindrance, especially if this is something that you're organizing but not actually performing the work yourself.
Best of luck with your endeavors.
Robert Helmig
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@Robert Lindsey Helmig thank you so much all the wonderful info! I really appreciate your going through so much effort! Thank you!
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