Volunteer group seeks volunteers to identify veterans in unmarked graves

A volunteer organization called the Veterans Grave Marker Project presented to the Health and Social Services Committee about efforts to locate veterans buried in unmarked graves and secure U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs markers where eligible.

The presenter said the project researches cemetery records, populates records in national databases such as Find a Grave, and files VA paperwork to obtain free VA markers when federal eligibility is met. The group said it covers installation costs where necessary and is pursuing legislative changes to broaden eligibility for federal markers in private cemeteries. The project is funded by donations and plans a May fundraiser; the presenter asked for volunteers to walk cemetery plots and assist with research.

Council members thanked the group and said they would invite the group to ward meetings and Memorial Day activities; several members praised the project’s community value.