Sons of Confederate Veterans
A Heritage of Honor
2nd South Carolina Regiment Pickens Camp 71
South Carolina Division

How to get a grave stone for a Confederate veteran

This information is provided for those who wish to place a veterans headstone on the grave of their Confederate ancestor.

The Veterans Administration will provide, without charge, a marker for your Confederate veteran ancestor. However you must apply for the marker using VA Form 40-1330. You may choose either an upright granite or marble headstone, a bronze flat marker, a bronze niche, or a flat granite or marble stone.

Obtain "VA Form 40-1330" from the local Veterans Affairs Office or call 1-800-827-1000 and request the form; or write to:

Office of Memorial Programs (403A)
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20420-0001
The form can also be downloaded at: http://www.cem.va.gov/hm.htm
Local funeral homes may also carry this form.

The applicant may be someone with knowledge of the veteran and must certify the grave is unmarked or marked inappropriately (such as errors in the marker, damage to the marker, or marker deterioration which would make it difficult to identify the person in the grave) and a government headstone or marker is preferred to a privately purchased headstone or marker. A grave is considered marked if the marker displays the veteran’s name and date of birth and/or death, even though his military service is not shown.

Any Confederate veteran, except those dishonorably discharged, is eligible. Enclosing a copy of the veterans proof of service can expedite processing of your application. The marker will be shipped, freight prepaid, to you. Any cost after the marker is delivered must be paid by you.

Contact a local funeral home and arrange with them to have the marker shipped directly to the funeral home. There must be someone available 24 hours per day at the receiving location and a funeral home meets this requirement. Most local funeral homes are happy to assist with this need. You can pick up the marker from the funeral home and install at your convenience.

The grave of a Confederate veteran is not "properly" marked when the grave marker does not include his military service. A marker without this information is in "error".

On The Web:   http://www.scv71.org/files/gmarker.html