Discover the Secret to Honoring Forgotten Heroes - Get a FREE Veteran Headstone!

Form to Claim a Free Headstone bit.ly/3Mvb7OH
Hey folks! Ever wondered how to get a free headstone for a US Veteran? We're here to help. This video is your easy, no-nonsense chat with Mike Rowley about his process; you can do it too. We'll show you who's eligible, where to apply, and what paperwork you will need. So if you're looking to honor a Veteran's service, this one's for you. Hit that subscribe button and share this vid with anyone who needs to know. Let's do right by our Veterans!
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[@DustyB]

My great uncle who was a navy Vietnam vet passed away about 4 years ago and he didn’t have his paper work for a military funeral honors and to this day he still doesn’t have a marker. Once I get done with AIT I’m going get the work done to get him a marker

[@trainnerd3029]

Hey Dusty… There is a link in the description on how to get a free head stone for a veteran… Have you checked that out? I wish you the best of luck with your goal!!

[@Frankie--da-fixer]

Good on you Dusty,And Thank you to your Uncle for his Service!!

[@kimfleury]

My brother did all that work for our great-uncle who was KIA Normandy June 22, 1944. Incredible story from start to his final, corrected headstone. It even made it into our hometown newspaper. In fact, it was the interview with reporter Mike Connell that led to completion of the delivery of the corrected headstone. My uncle's last letter home gives his rank as Sergeant, and tells his family he was promoted, but his marker from the Army gave his rank as Private. My brother pierced together what happened. Uncle Harold's Sergeant was KIA, so Uncle Harold was promoted on the field. It just needed paperwork to go through the military offices in Washington, DC. But he was KIA before the paperwork was completed. It was a month after his death before representatives from the Army came to Great-Grandma and Grandpa's farm to notify them of his death. Great-Grandpa was inconsolable, as one of my uncles who was only 2 years old recalls. It was his first memory. Uncle Harold's final letter didn't arrive for at least another month, and it would have been a devastating reopening of the wound of grief. If they read it, they weren't in the state of mind to be caring about his tank. His body was returned home quite some time after the war had ended. The Army provided the headstone, but they only had the paperwork that gave his rank as Private. The promotion paperwork was filed in limbo because of his death, but it was there among his total service records by the time they were all compiled in St. Louis. My brother filed for copies of those records, and they had only barely survived. You can see the edges of the papers were curled and blackened, and there were scorch marks, but enough of the records survived that my brother could establish the facts. He sent the form to the Army to request a corrected headstone, but got the response that the cutoff is 50 years. My brother had just barely missed it. That's the story that appeared in the local paper for Memorial Day. It ends with my brother saying that we'll just have to live with it, unless the family can raise the money to get a new one. Well you know people are too generous to just let that kind of thing go. So many people stepped up. Uncle Harold Parrish was given a corrected headstone and a graveside service laying him to rest by his proper rank. And that was in the newspaper too. I still get tears in my eyes everytime I remember how generous the community was. I can't see to type anymore.

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

❤ Awesome ❤ respect ❤ God bless and God bless the community! 🙏🏻🤗 🇺🇸

[@OlSgtLove]

Hey ,I don't know about the 50 year cutoff ,unless something had change recently. Back in 2019 I got my 2x Grandfather who is a Confederate Soldier died in a Union Prison camp . Is marker was incorrect, lacking alot of information . So I got the copy of his records and submitted the paper work . I got his head stone replaced. It states in the VA Regulations that if the headstone is incorrect and missing information ,that it can be replaced.. Read through the Regulations on line .Glad good people can to your rescue . God Bless.

[@grant3062]

In case anyone is not aware, they have medallion grave medals to distinguish military service if there is a private headstone for the veteran already installed or if they are buried in a mausoleum crypt or niche. These are fixed to the pre-existing headstone or niche/crypt wall.

[@scionboinj]

The one problem I have run in to, at least here in the East, is that cemeteries require a poured foundation, which they will put in. This usually costs more than the value of the stone. Also, I've never heard of a cemetery which allows a private person to install a stone. They would want to charge you for the installation. Guess folks in Iowa are a lot more trusting :-) I've tried to get one for my Great Great Grandfather, but the cemetery will only accept a flat stone and the installation and foundation is quite a few hundred dollars. One good thing is, you are allowed one or two extra lines of text on the stone. So you could add ""And Family", "Family Lot", or "Husband of Mary Smith 1900-1980" if there were neighboring graves you wanted to mark. All in all, lots of good info and great work on getting so many graves marked!

[@scottemery4737]

Yes, you will need to conform to the cemetery rules. If it is flat, ground level markers only, that's what you have to do. That's why an official from the cemetery has to sign the form. But the VA does have those types of markers available.

[@artofogre3555]

Brother, the work I saw in your shorts led me to view your page. Thank you for caring for all these historic head stones and markers. I hope you continue to show me people of the past and their history.

[@Poolshark26DUFE]

The Fire in NARA St Louis was in 1973 to be exact. They touch on this in their videos especially last week's video for the 2023 Genealogy playlist they have & are working on as a series.

[@justincase2281]

Dealing with the VA is like trying to get answers from the monkey house at the zoo. Alot of chatter but nothing comprehensible. My Dad passed 19 years ago andc was a WW2 Vet. We attempted to get him into a new VA nursing home nack then and my sister discovered his discharge papers. Unfortunately, my Dad passed before the Home was completed. Along the way a state representative for the VA informed my sister that Dad had a war injury and was entitled to compensation. To date 19 years ago, it totalled 100 thousand dollars, but the State rep didn't want us to refer to him if we pursued it. It would get him in trouble somehow. So I contacted the VA but they had no record of my Dad's service because of that fire. Apparently, that money was transferrable to my sister and me after my Dad's death, but we got either no help from the VA or just a runaround. We have his discharge. But still. Haven't bothered to pursue it these last 19 years. I think it absolutely sucks that thousands of our veterans will never be recognized for their service. And you guys are doing a wonderful thing by marking the graves of these heroes!! God bless you! Thank you!! 🙏✝️❤️🇺🇸

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

You should get a lawyer to help, you are the rightful heir to the deserved money. I pray you guys get it promptly. Wish I could help you more. Maybe contact your representative. They should actually be able to help. ❤😊❤ God bless you.

[@neildonnelly5029]

Thank you for remembering our veterans

[@MelissaAnnMajestic]

Thank y'all for a wonderful video. I've been working on getting my father's marker since his passing in 2019. I had to wait on his discharge papers because we never found them at home. The form seems very daunting but I never realized that the marker would be delivered to us. Also, I never thought to reach out to the cemetery about it. Thank you for that and all you and Mike are doing for our vets.

[@pmccoy8924]

My 3x GG a Civil War veteran from Ohio doesn’t have a headstone. I submitted it 4 months ago, paid the cemetery the $260 set fee. Haven’t heard back yet.

[@oxymom2002]

Thank you so much for the work you have done and are doing. I know that by sharing this information, you have helped others get started with this important work.

[@mygrammieis]

Every Bet needs To Be Respected and Honored- This information needs to be shared sharing 🕊️💝✌️✌️✌️💯🤭

[@Turfman1]

I digitized all the records for Des Moines City Cemeteries 5 or 6 years ago. Don't know if they have been published but they have them.

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

Wow!! Thank you!

[@jerryhosford4557]

I think it is awesome what you, and others are doing with these cleanings and repairs. God bless you, keep going.

[@jamessheets6604]

I’m my town we have a Union Cemetery but most of the headstones have broken or missing. It’s sad to drive by and see so many headstones leaning against trees or on the ground.

[@RickMahoney2013]

I don’t understand why paper work from the National Guard is not accepted. I was in the Maryland National Guard but I do have my DD-214. My father was in WWll and is buried in the Baltimore National Cemetery and I believe I can be buried on top of him. It would be great if someone can comment whether they know if I can be buried on top of him. I thank him and all the others who don’t forget the people who served to keep this country free.

[@koti5117]

@rickmahoney2013 here are the current burial rules. Generally if you qualify for a headstone you also qualify for burial in a national cemetery (huge financial savings for families). Best of luck to you. And thank you and your family for your service. www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility/

[@ruadhscottygirl2480]

Many National cemeteries are so full that ONLY a spouse is allowed to be buried with the veteran. Also, most National cemeteries have become landlocked, are filled completely, and are doing cremations only. In that case I’m not sure how many family members could be cremated with the veteran.

[@DECemeterian]

FYI - The National Guard is State controlled. While the Guard is federally funded, for a guardsman to receive Federal benefits they must have been deployed on "federal active duty orders", around 180 days, determined by number of Guard years. Search the VA website and look for Guard & Reserve benefits.

[@DECemeterian]

Burial in National Cemetery, yes (space available), eligible spouses and dependents can be buried with a veteran, even if they predecease the Veteran. Search for "5 VA burial benefits for National Guard and Reserve Members".

[@Bynming]

Thank you for this content. When doing interviews, I would avoid asking multiple questions at the same time

[@ruadhscottygirl2480]

Agree!

[@tinamortensen1220]

There is a WW2 vet who's son died first Vietnam vet, had no one to give his father a stone. This is in Kaysville, UT Harry Denton SR. His son has always been between family stones my whole life. I never forget to put something on his grave. I found his fathers grave by accident when they put paper markers on memorial day. I don't have any other info. I no longer live near. Can you help?

[@LKayeM]

This is a great video, thank you for caring for our veterans and sharing this information.😊

[@brucetifer]

Keep your DD214

[@Paprman2000]

Thank you so much!

[@DustyB]

This is beautiful

[@billbucktube]

Such a super service! I like what you do. Watching your videos I have gleaned a lot of useful bits. Do you have an instructional set of videos? Something that would show the products and the lifts, especially the slow set epoxy putty? I’m trying to level an inset stone and it looks like the way to do it is with a prybar and gravel. I’m concerned about chipping the stone while prying. Thanks

[@tanjalucas933]

I have a great-great-grandfather who served in the civil war. I know what cemetery he is burried in, but I don't know where in the cemetery he is burried. He has no headstone of any kind. Any advice on finding the location of his grave in order to place a stone?

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

There's a site, I think it's grave finders, that might help you. ❤😊❤

[@mikerowley561]

. BURIAL HEADSTONE OR MARKER For Veterans who died on or after November 1, 1990 - VA will furnish a burial headstone or marker for the grave of any eligible deceased Veteran in a private or local government cemetery regardless of whether or not the grave is marked with a privately-purchased, permanent and durable headstone or marker. For Veterans who died before November 1, 1990 - VA will furnish a burial headstone or marker for the UNMARKED GRAVE of any eligible deceased Veteran. The applicant must certify by checking "NO" in block 4 that a privately-purchased, permanent and durable headstore or marker or Government-furnished headstone or marker is not present on the grave.

[@jerosa07]

My fiance and I go to cemeteries to visit revolutionary, 1812 and civil war vets/soldiers. We have found lots of them without US flags, so we place them and have found some tombstones that were on the ground or broken or the information almost eroded away....I would love to get in contact with someone that could replace them or join me to get more help.

[@nischalxp]

❤

[@alexgabs1947]

How do I get into this? I have loved going to cemeteries since I was a kid in catholic school. I don’t know how many fallen over and grody that I wish I could help clean off. I’m just unsure I’m how to start and how to get the permissions to clean them without causing more damage.

[@beccagee5905]

I think he has mentioned to email him about how to do this.

[@beccagee5905]

I looked under the more information under the video title. There are free classes on how to clean headstones, and a waitlist on conservation of headstones/grave sites.

[@davidharrity9723]

Outstanding. What is the oldest veteran has Mike gotten a stone? American Revolution, or War of 1812?

[@mikerowley561]

Matrom Elmore, Lee County, Iowa after 1840, a soldier of American Revolution and Daniel Robertson, Taylorsville, Alexander County, North Carolina

[@beccagee5905]

​@@mikerowley561Someone has replaced the broken headstone, of a ancestor of mine, who was a veteran of the Revolutionary war. I have a photo of it. I'm very thankful, and I'm sure the families of those who you have helped get headstone are also.

[@DustyB]

Is this the same process for veterans that have headstones to get an additional veteran headstone?

[@lisabutler51]

Can this be done in Clovis New Mexico also. I have found 2 that are not marked

[@millennialstonecleaner]

You certainly can.

[@seagoingcook]

Looking for the link

[@tanjalucas933]

do you know how I could contact mike to see if he could advise me on finding an unmarked veteran grave when the location of the grave in the cemetery is not known. I have wanted to place a stone for a long time.

[@beccagee5905]

Have you contacted the cemetery? They should have records of all the grave sites.

[@mb944]

So if the stone is un marked how do u know that’s the right person when u replace it with a name on there?

[@beccagee5905]

The cemetery keeps records of the grave sites.

[@jd65556]

I guess there was no info on his full Birthdate? Just 1884?

[@mikerowley561]

You are correct

[@atclfi3]

Always get granite never marble

[@bekipitz472]

🌸 'Promo SM'