What’s The Problem?
The final resting places of our nation’s veterans are sacred spaces that deserve care, dignity, and lasting recognition. While national cemeteries managed by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) are maintained to a high standard, a quieter, often overlooked issue persists: the inconsistent care and recognition of veterans buried in community cemeteries.
Allowances: A System Few Understand
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides limited financial allowances for burial, plot, and in some cases, transportation costs. This affects the 78% of veterans buried outside national, state, or tribal cemeteries.
But families face an uphill battle:
Benefits require strict documentation (proof of service, death certificate, receipts).
Strict deadlines apply (two years to claim for non-service-connected deaths).
Reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Grieving families are often left to rely on funeral homes, cemeteries, or Veterans Service Organizations to navigate the red tape. Too often, they give up, losing benefits their loved one earned.
Markers: A History of Recognition and a Line in the Sand
The U.S. began issuing government headstones in 1862 for Union soldiers.
1873: Expanded to all honorably discharged Union veterans.
1906: Broadened to veterans of every earlier war (Revolutionary, 1812, Mexican, and more).
1929: Extended to Confederate soldiers.
Today: Governed by 38 U.S.C. § 2306.
That law ensures a government marker for any unmarked grave at no cost. But there’s a catch:
Veterans who died before Nov. 1, 1990 and have a private monument are not eligible for a government marker.
Veterans who died after Nov. 1, 1990 can receive a dual marker (government + personal) if the cemetery permits.
This arbitrary cutoff means millions of veterans from the birth of our nation through 1990 lie beneath personal monuments that often have no visible sign of military service. Their sacrifices remain invisible, while later generations automatically receive recognition.
Care: A Patchwork System with Gaps
Outside federal cemeteries, there is no standardized system to care for or track veterans’ graves. Over time, markers deteriorate, disappear, or remain unmarked entirely.
The NCA has taken some steps—such as publishing marker care guides, supporting volunteer cleanups, and launching the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM). But:
The VLM only includes veterans buried from 1995 onward who received certain VA benefits.
It is not codified in law, meaning it could be cut at any time.
There is no comprehensive national database of where veterans are buried.
In short, countless veterans have already slipped through the cracks.
Where we step in
The Warriors Remembrance & Research Foundation (WRRF) fills this void by:
Locating and documenting veterans’ graves in community and municipal cemeteries.
Ensuring every grave is marked with a bronze service branch medallion and a 12x18” American flag.
Raising awareness so families, communities, and future generations know who among us served.
Our mission is monumental—but it is necessary. If we as a nation claim that “we will never forget,” then we must prove it not only in words but in visible, lasting recognition of every veteran.
A Sacred Responsibility
The freedoms we enjoy were paid for by those who served before us—from the patriots who rose up against the British Empire to the men and women who defended our nation in wars abroad. None of us earned these freedoms alone; they were given to us at great cost.
We cannot allow money, bureaucracy, or arbitrary dates to dictate how America honors its veterans. Every veteran deserves to be remembered. Every grave deserves to be marked.
Join the Mission
The WRRF is committed to doing what federal policy has failed to do: ensuring that no veteran is forgotten. But we cannot do it alone.
SUPPORT OUR MISSION, DONATE TODAY!
Your donation helps us place bronze medallions, flags, and monuments in communities so veterans are visibly honored, and ensures their graves receive ongoing care and recognition every Memorial Day and Veterans Day. It also allows us to assist widowed spouses and children with burial benefits, provide aid to low-income families struggling with funeral expenses, recognize living veterans, and advocate for stronger death and burial policies at both local and federal levels. With your support, we can ensure no veteran is ever forgotten.