What Did Someone Believe?
What was a Veteran’s religion or belief system? This is a complicated question for many reasons. A person’s beliefs (or the intensity of those beliefs) may have changed over time. Their convictions might have diverged from formal doctrine. As much as it is possible to answer the question of belief, government-issued gravestones can offer one important clue: Veterans and their families could include an emblem of belief from an established list of options.
When you see a graphic on a government-issued headstone, you should ask: Is this an emblem of belief or a military decoration such as the Medal of Honor? Once you know it is an emblem of belief, you can identify which one by referencing the full list on the NCA website.
Sample Emblems of Belief
Latin (Christian) Cross
Buddhist
Judaism (Star of David)
Episcopal Cross
Native American Church of North America
Hindu
Atheist
Muslim (Crescent and Star)
Test Your Understanding
Shizuya Hayashi served with the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry in Italy. He is buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. This is a photograph of his headstone.
Gravestone of Shizuya Hayashi. Source: Find a Grave.