Where is My Veteran Buried? (Government Records Series, Part 1)

“In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, the bridge to our future.” – Alex Haley

We all have family members and ancestors who have served in the military. There are records that have been digitized such as draft cards and the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs Death Files. These records tell you enlistment and release dates, place of employment at time of enlistment and the home address. However, the Veterans Affairs death records do not tell you where the individual is buried. Even death certificates often do not state where the person will be buried.

So, if your ancestor or family member was a veteran, you can visit the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs website and use the Nationwide Gravesite Locator (website listed below). In the screenshot to the right, you can see the search fields. It best to be as specific as you can, so you are able to find the correct person. As an example, I searched for my great-grandfather, Lawrence Paul. I entered his name in the search field and entered the year of birth, 1924, and the year of death, which was 1998.

My Great-Grandfather
Lawrence (Larry) Paul in Navy Uniform

The screenshot above shows the record from that search. It shows that he was in the Navy in World War II and in Korea.  The record also says that he was buried at Batavia Union Cemetery, the address for the cemetery, and the phone number.

This Veterans Affairs grave locator is only available through the .gov website. It is not available through FamilySearch, Ancestry or the other sites, so the website is a great resource to be able to find your veteran!

The website also provides information about eligibility for a headstone, marker or medallion for a veteran, replacement headstones and markers and a page for frequently asked questions.

U.S Department of Veterans Affairs Gravesite Locator:

https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/index.html)