The Department of Veterans Affairs has been working hard to expand their Veterans Legacy Memorial project. Recently they confirmed they have added 5 million more veterans buried at private cemeteries to the project.
Until now, the online repository only included veterans who were buried in Veterans Affairs cemeteries, military cemeteries and other government sites.
“This is our most ambitious expansion of the project since its creation, and brings the online platform to private cemeteries large and small across the country, wherever those heroes have been laid to rest,” Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matt Quinn stated.
“Now these family members and their fellow veterans can access the personal pages of their loved ones and upload photographs and other mementos to help preserve their legacies.”
If you haven't heard of the Veterans Legacy Memorial project, it was created to help everyday Americans learn more about the brave men and women who served our country. Even if you can't physically go to the veteran's memorial site, this is a way to carry on their memory and honor the sacrifices they made for our country. It also provides a platform for family members and friends of fallen veterans to remember their loved ones.
Here are some of the things included on each memorial page for a veteran:
Date of birth and death
Dates of military service
Grave location and photo when available
On top of that, the site is interactive and allows family members and friends to upload photos, documents and treasured memories.
The VA has stated that moderators review all content that is uploaded to the site to make sure it abides with the Veterans Legacy Memorial policies.
In order to add the 5 million additional veterans to the site, the department gathered data on veterans who where buried at private and non-VA cemeteries who received a headstone, marker or medallion from the National Cemetery Administration since 1996.
If you need any help finding your veteran or modifying their record on the site, there is contact information if you click the "customer support" link on the Veteran Legacy Memorial website.
h/t Military.com