Veterans headstones, markers, medallions, plaques, and urns

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, marker, plaque, or urn if they meet these requirements.

At least one of these must be true:

• The Veteran or service member died on or after November 1, 1990, and their grave is currently marked with a privately purchased headstone, or
• The Veteran or service member was buried in an unmarked grave, anywhere in the world

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: Hmong individuals who were living in the U.S. when they died are eligible if they were naturalized under the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act of 2000 and died on or after March 23, 2018.

Medallions are for eligible Veterans and service members who are buried in a private cemetery marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker. We may provide these types of medallions:

• Bronze, or
• Medal of Honor

Service members who died while serving on active duty on or after April 6, 1917, are eligible for a medallion.

Veterans who didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge may be eligible for a medallion if they meet these requirements specific to when they served:

• Enlisted personnel who served before September 7, 1980, must have served for at least 1 day of active duty on or after April 6, 1917.
• Enlisted personnel who served after September 7, 1980, must have served for a minimum of 24 months of continuous active duty. 
• Officers who served before October 16, 1981, must have served for at least 1 day of active duty on or after April 6, 1917.
• Officers who served after October 16, 1981, must have served for a minimum of 24 months of continuous active duty. 

Note: A commissioned officer may be eligible for a medallion if they served in active Public Health Service on or after April 6, 1917.

A National Guard member or Reservist may be eligible for a headstone, marker, medallion, plaque, or urn if they meet any of the requirements specific to their type of service. We may provide these types of medallions:

• Bronze, or
• Medal of Honor

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.

A spouse or dependent child buried in a national cemetery, state or tribal Veterans cemetery, military post cemetery, or military base cemetery may be eligible for a headstone or marker. They may still be eligible even if they die before the Veteran.

In most cases, we provide one gravesite and a single headstone for all eligible family members. But if 2 Veterans are married and we receive a request for separate gravesites and headstones, we can provide side-by-side gravesites with separate headstones.

Learn more about government headstones and markers

Spouses and dependent children buried in a private cemetery aren’t eligible for a headstone or marker. But they may be eligible for an inscription on the Veteran’s headstone or marker in a private cemetery. 

Learn about spouse and child inscriptions in private cemeteries

Note: Spouses and dependents aren’t eligible for a medallion.