Military Grave Markers

Dying is part of life and someday we all take on that path. If you are someone who wants to make sure a late friend of yours who served the military will get the proper markers there are a few things you need to know about them first. The military grave markers in the US are both (marble and bronze) twenty four inches long and twelve inches wide, but the marble ones are far heavier than their counterparts.

 

If the person had served in the U.S. military, the Veteran's Administration (VA) will provide (at no cost) a  military also called veteran grave marker  for the unmarked grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death. They may also provide a medallion or marker to eligible veterans that already have a headstone that wasn't purcahsed by the VA.

Flat grave markers are available granite, marble, and bronze. The upright headstones are only available in granite and marble.Bronze niche markers are also available to mark columbaria used for inurnment of cremated remains. Source.

Usually when buying military grave markers they will be shipped directly to the cemetery and the caretakers there will install them according to the cemetery's protocol and of course the family's wishes. In the case of military grave markers the cemetery overseer needs to approve of it first and if he does so only then can the planning be moved forward.

If burial is in a private cemetary, you will probably be charged for the installation of the headstone. However some private cemetaries will allow you to install the headstone.

So how can you install one?

1. After you have these you need to get in touch with the cemetery's main office and ask to speak with the director. He needs to know that you have acquired a military grave marker and you'd like to install it. In the majority of cases the director will send word and will help you with installing it so that's going to get some burdens off your already heavy heart.

2. Now it's time that you begin the installation. Take the shovel and dig a hole that's just four inches deep, thirteen inches wide and twenty five inches across. If you got a marble grave marker you should know that it can be a little smaller than the aforementioned measurements and this makes it easier to center the grave marker in that size.

3. Now carefully take the grave marker and place it in the hole. Depending on the weight and your physical abilities carefully lift the grave marker and put it in place. Don't rush as you don't want to get hurt.

4. In order to secure the grave marker you need to pack dirt around its edges. Then press firmly on the dirt on each edge of the grave marker so that it's secured accordingly. Lastly you will need to remove the excess dirt so that the appearance of the grave site is preserved.

Generally though people use bronze military grave markers as they are not only lighter yet also cheaper. Installing them becomes thus a breeze and they don't require special handling nor a lot of manpower to handle them. On top of that their price is also way lower compared to the marble option and in these times of economical crisis who wouldn't go with one?
Another thing is that you will easily be able to have your grave marker designed the way you want to.

This process implies either you sending a model that you have in mind to the company that deals with designing it or if you want you can go to the company and decide on a model there. You are not the first one who has asked for a custom design so they will have hundreds of custom design photos to show you. This way you won't have to waste time and think of a design as there is certainly at least one you will love from the ones you'll be shown.

Further personification is also possible and you can add a final epitaph and one or two emblems. Usually the epitaph is a short note that summarizes something about the deceased. Some of the designs that grave markers generally come with number a crosses, hearts, flowers, angels and doves. It's easy to ensure that your loved one's getting the grave marker he or she deserves and by contacting a specialized company dealing with this you can only expect excellent results!

Tips and Warnings: To make sure your loved one's grave market is flat be sure to user a level.If you have difficulty leveling the grave marker do use some excess dirt beneath it.Before attempting on digging anywhere near the property you should contact the cemetery's director for approval.Use special cleaning solution and cloths when you need to clean the grave marker