National Cemetery Administration (NCA) Regulations
How do you interpret a headstone? A first useful step involves understanding the choices available to a person commissioning the headstone. The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) will give a free headstone to Veterans or Service members who died while on active duty. Knowing the NCA regulations around headstones will help you analyze this source.
Veterans interred at a national cemetery must use a government-furnished headstone. Veterans buried at private cemeteries may, but are not obligated to, use these headstones. For Veterans in private cemeteries who have provided their own headstone, it may help to ask: How is this gravestone different from a government-furnished headstone? Why might this have been important to the deceased or their family?
Material and Style
Veterans and their families have a few options about the material and style of the government-furnished headstone. If they want a stone marker, they can opt for either a flat or upright style made of granite or marble. They may also choose one of two flat bronze markers. Additionally, the NCA provides certain “historical” headstones for Veterans who served before World War I.
Example of a flat marker. Mildred D. Aaberg served in the Navy where she achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. She is interred at Willamette National Cemetery.
Example of a flat bronze marker. David L. Elwood Jr. served in the Army and is buried at Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
Example of an upright headstone. Rudolf H. Michaels served in the Army and is buried at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.
Example of a niche marker in bronze. Stanley Izumigawa served in the Army and received a Purple Heart. He is interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Inscriptions
Certain pieces of information must be included on a headstone, for example, the Veteran’s legal name, their branch of service, and their years of birth and death. Other information such as unit, rank, and complete birth and death dates are optional (space permitting).
| Type | Information |
|---|---|
| Mandatory Text | Legal name, branch of service, year of birth, year of death |
| Optional Text | War service, highest rank, awards |
| Requires Approval | Terms of endearment, nicknames, military or civilian credentials or accomplishments, special unit designations |
| Permitted Graphics | Emblems of belief, Medal of Honor, Southern Cross of Honor (Civil War Confederates) |
The information related to military service is often abbreviated to save space on the headstone. For example the Army rank of “Private First Class” might appear simply as “PFC” on a headstone. Abbreviations are used for awards, branches of service, ranks, specialties for Navy / Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and war service. The full list can be found on the NCA page discussing inscriptions.
Test Your Understanding
This headstone belongs to Seijin Taba who served in the Army.
Gravestone of Seijin Taba. Source: Find a Grave.