Burial Flags

• VA Form 27-2008, Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes

Burial Benefits

• https://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/burial_flags.asp

Burial Memorials

• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/memorial-items/burial-flags/
• Read more about burial flags on the last page of the application (PDF)
• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/#get-veterans-burial-benefits

Burial Benefits & Additional Information

• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility
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• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility/burial-in-private-cemetery/
• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility/burial-at-sea/
• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/veterans-burial-allowance/
• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/bereavement-counseling/
• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/schedule-a-burial/
• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/what-to-expect-at-military-funeral/

If they haven’t received it, call us at 800-697-6947. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

If you have a complaint about a private cemetery then there are organizations that can help you resolve the issue.
Get help resolving your complaint (PDF)

Important Links

• https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/memorial-items/headstones-markers-medallions/

A VA Form 40-1330, Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker must be submitted to request a burial or memorial headstone or marker.

Checking Status of a Headstone, Marker or Medallion Request

To obtain the status of headstones or markers ordered for national or state cemeteries, please contact the cemetery directly.

To obtain the status of headstones or markers ordered for private cemeteries, please use the following instructions: If more than 30 days have passed since your claim was submitted to the VA in Washington, D.C. by you, or someone assisting you, please call our Applicant Assistance Unit to verify we are in receipt of your claim.

If more than 60 days have passed since submitting your claim and the grave is still not marked, you should contact the cemetery, funeral home, or other party responsible for accepting delivery of the headstone, marker or medallion to see if they have received it. If they have not received it, you may call our Applicant Assistance Unit between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, at 1-800-697-6947.

You may also click on the “Contact Us” link to check the status of your order.

Please Note: The above telephone number is for questions related to headstones, markers and medallions only ordered for private cemeteries.

You must be a member of the deceased’s family to apply for a memorial item if any of the below descriptions is true. The deceased’s remains:

• Haven’t been recovered or identified
• Were buried at sea
• Were donated to science
• Were cremated and scattered

How do I apply for a memorial item?

Fill out an application

For a headstone, grave marker, or niche marker, fill out the Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker (VA Form 40-1330).
Download VA Form 40-1330 (PDF)

Note: If this is your second request, or if you’re requesting a replacement because of a mistake with the inscription or a damaged headstone or marker, be sure to explain this in block 27 of the form.

For a medallion to be placed on a privately purchased headstone or marker, fill out the Claim for Government Medallion for Placement in a Private Cemetery (VA Form 40-1330M).
Download VA Form 40-1330M (PDF)

Send us your application and supporting documents

Mail or fax your form, along with a copy of the Veteran’s DD214 or other discharge documents. Don’t send the originals since we can’t return them.

Fax the documents to 800-455-7143, or

Mail the discharge papers and the form to this address:

Memorial Products Service (41B)
Department of Veteran Affairs
5109 Russell Road
Quantico, VA 22134-3903

If you need help with your application, please call us at 800-697-6947. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Can I choose the type of Headstone or Marker?

Yes. You’ll choose either a headstone or marker and the material you’d like it to be made of.

You’ll make your choice by selecting one of the boxes in block 15 of Form 40-1330. You

can request any of these:

• Upright headstones, in granite or marble
• Flat markers, in granite, marble, or bronze
• Niche markers, in bronze 

Note: For burial in a private cemetery, check with officials at the specific cemetery to make sure

they allow the style you want.

Learn more about these memorial items—and see what they look like 

Learn about special headstone and marker styles for Civil War and Spanish-American War Veterans 

Find out how to clean a government headstone or marker

What information goes on the Headstone & who provides it?

All headstones and markers must include:

• The person’s legal name
• The Veteran’s service branch
• The beginning and ending years of the person’s life
• The section and grave number (if in a state or national cemetery)
• You can also choose to inscribe:
• The full beginning and ending dates of the person’s life
• The highest rank the Veteran attained
• The Veteran’s awards and war service
• An emblem of belief

We may approve other requests, such as:

• Nicknames
• Terms of endearment (like “Loving Father”)
• Special unit identification

The person’s next of kin, or an authorized representative (like a funeral home director) must provide this information to cemetery officials at a national cemetery, state Veterans cemetery, military post cemetery, or military base cemetery. These officials will order theheadstone or marker for you.

See the abbreviations that are most often used for inscriptions

When will the Headstone or Marker I requested arrive & who will set it for me?

For national or state cemeteries, please contact the cemetery directly to find out when the headstone or marker will arrive. 

Find a national, state, or tribal government Veterans cemetery

Cemetery staff in national, military post, and military base cemeteries are responsible for setting the headstone or marker at no cost to you. Some state Veterans’ cemeteries may charge you a small (nominal) fee for setting a government headstone or marker.

Does VA provide a Memorial Headstone or Marker if remains aren’t available?

We provide memorial headstones and markers for:

1. Eligible deceased active-duty service members and qualified Veterans when their remains are missing, not identified, donated to science, buried at sea, or scattered
2. Eligible spouses and other dependents whose remains are not available, whether or not they pass away before the eligible Veteran 

Note: For spouses and other dependents, this benefit is for burial only in national, military post, military base, or state Veterans cemeteries, not private cemeteries. The words engraved on the memorial item must begin, “IN MEMORY OF.”

Can 2 Veterans Who Are Married Get Separate Headstones?

Yes. All Veterans are eligible for their own headstone and gravesite.

Spouses can be buried in:

Side-by-side graves with separate headstones, or

The same gravesite with inscriptions on a shared headstone.

Can I request a replacement Headstone?

If you’re the family member of a deceased Veteran who was given a government-issued headstone or

marker, and you want to replace it, we may be able to give you a replacement.

One of the following must be true. The headstone or marker:

• Is badly deteriorated, unreadable, stolen, or vandalized, or
• Has an incorrect inscription, or
• Was damaged during shipping, or
• Doesn’t meet certain contract specifications