Thought this might be of interest.
Margie R. Pearce
URL:
www.angelfire.com/la/ancestors
-----Original Message-----
From: RHollis123(a)aol.com <RHollis123(a)aol.com>
To: MSTIPPAH-L(a)rootsweb.com <MSTIPPAH-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 1999 11:45 PM
Subject: Free Headstones to Any Veteran
Thought this was of interest and worth posting. I had a free
headstone
placed
on
my gg grandfather's unmarked in Jefferson Co., AL a few years ago.
Rosemary Nichols Hollis
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Government Provides Free Headstones to Any Veteran
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A polished new headstone stands by two worn markers in a tiny
private cemetery in Tennessee, a tribute to the man whose
gravesite it marks and a federal program that tries to ensure
that no veteran's grave goes unmarked.
John Alford was a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia who
died in Nashville on April.24,1837. Though he served in the
military more than 200 years ago, his family still was eligible
for a government headstone through the National Cernetery System,
the section of the Department of Veterans Affairs that maintains
115 national cemeteries. Steven Westerfeld, a spokesman for the
system, said a gravestone can be the most significant benefit a
veteran receives."These are people who fought for our country and we
owe a great debt of gratitude for that and it behooves us to make sure that
they are not forgotten." Westerfeld said.
The VA provided about 270,000 headstones last year. Though most
of the markers go to recently deceased veterans, the tombstone
and marker project also provides stones to replace those that
have been lost, damaged or destroyed.
Jane Alford found John Alford's stone was crumbling when her
genealogy research led her to the tiny cemetery on the lawn of a
historic home on the outskirts of Nashville. John Alford, her husband's
great-great-great-great-greatgrandfather, joined the Army in
Virginia and guarded British prisoners of war. While researching
his background, Jane Alford learned about the headstone
program,.which requires documentation of a veteran's service.
It takes about a year for a headstone, valued at about $350, to
be carved and shipped. Families may choose either granite or
marbIe headstones, or a brass marker. And the headstone or marker
may be upright or flat.
To apply for a headstone, contact Memorial Programs Services at
(800) 697-6947.
NORTH COUNTY TIMES JANUARY 10, 1999
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