Veteran urns and plaques

A Veteran who didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge or a service member who died while on active duty may be eligible for a headstone or marker if they meet these requirements.

At least one of these must be true:

• The Veteran or service member died on or after April 6, 1017 and their grave is currently marked with a privately purchased headstone, or
• The Veteran or service member was cremated and not interred* at any location. 

Note: If the Veteran or service member served before World War I, we require detailed documents, like muster rolls, extracts from state files, or the military or state organization where they served.

And for Veterans who served as enlisted personnel after September 7, 1980, or as officers after October 16, 1981, at least one of these must also be true:

• The Veteran served for a minimum of 24 months of continuous active duty, or
• The Veteran died while serving on active duty

*Note: Not being interred means that your Veteran or service member was not buried in a casket or in a columbarium.

A National Guard member or Reservist may be eligible for a headstone or marker if they meet any of the requirements specific to their type of service. 

National Guard members

At least one of these must be true:

• The National Guard member was entitled to retirement pay at their time of death (or would have been entitled if they were over 60 years old), or
• The National Guard member served in a federal status and for the period of time they were called to serve

Reservists

At least one of these must be true:

• The Reservist was entitled to retirement pay at their time of death (or would have been entitled if they were over 60 years old), or
• The Reservist was called to active duty for purposes other than training

Note: National Guard members or Reservists who have only limited active-duty service for training aren’t eligible in most cases. They may be eligible in certain situations, such as if they died during or as the result of the training.