Confirmed on 7/3/2023 all memorials in a National Cemetery with Section MA, MB, MC etc followed with a plot number.....are Cenotaphs. There are no remains or cremains in these designated sections. Simply an area for a memorial stone to honor those whose remains or cremains are elsewhere. Stones usually read "IN MEMORY OF".

I am the proud daughter of a US Marine, my Dad once said his service, nor his rank, defined who he was as a man or a civilian. Therefore, although many of the memorials I manage served in the military of this country, I do not add their rank to their name on the Memorial, unless request is made by a family member, they died in service, or served 20+ years and retired at said rank. Most cases, it is on their stone, and it will be in the Inscription field.

When searching the VA Nationwide National Gravesite Locator, be as exact as possible. In last 2 days, I found a record in search by placing a space between Mc and Donald. It would not show up when typed MCDONALD nor when typed McDonald, but typed
Mc Donald and there it was, and the other Memorial also started with Mc.........but needed a space to show up in search. Someone place a flower on one of the Memorials stating they were not interred there. Yet that spacing proved them incorrect.

Another glitch in the search on VA National Gravesite Locator is in searching Hispanic names. If there are 2 surnames a hyphen should not be required, but when searching some names without it, nothing appears in results. Add a hyphen and it comes up.....just an FYI.......Beware and try both if necessary.

Started researching my Family Tree in the early 1970's. Grateful when DNA testing became avail, as it confirmed information my Grandfather found to be true, but could not be proven. My DNA testing in the early years of it's availability confirmed his Grandfather and his father's paternal line. We are still searching out his maternal line, with many DNA matches offering hope!

Special Thanks to Photographers filling my photo requests. So many memorials lacking photos, but a great bunch of volunteers completing all my requests. Thank You !!!!

I attach family members, IF I find proof, via records they are indeed family, there is proof they are interred where their memorial says they are (headstone photo, newspaper obituary (although not always reliable), death certificate showing name of cemetery...some kind of proof and not an assumption). I have found too many duplicate memorials, and memorials for people not interred where it is reported they were (No record of that person, in that cemetery, at the cemetery office), to chance making an incorrect connection.

As I edit Memorials I manage, I will be editing out the names of the living if mentioned. I have been getting warnings recently about living individuals and feel, like Ancestry, they may be trying to convert over to privacy of the living.

I want express a Huge Thank You to Support@Findagrave for all the work you do. I know you are dealing with huge backlogs, and hope I am helping, not hindering your efforts. Ya'll do a Great Job.

Confirmed on 7/3/2023 all memorials in a National Cemetery with Section MA, MB, MC etc followed with a plot number.....are Cenotaphs. There are no remains or cremains in these designated sections. Simply an area for a memorial stone to honor those whose remains or cremains are elsewhere. Stones usually read "IN MEMORY OF".

I am the proud daughter of a US Marine, my Dad once said his service, nor his rank, defined who he was as a man or a civilian. Therefore, although many of the memorials I manage served in the military of this country, I do not add their rank to their name on the Memorial, unless request is made by a family member, they died in service, or served 20+ years and retired at said rank. Most cases, it is on their stone, and it will be in the Inscription field.

When searching the VA Nationwide National Gravesite Locator, be as exact as possible. In last 2 days, I found a record in search by placing a space between Mc and Donald. It would not show up when typed MCDONALD nor when typed McDonald, but typed
Mc Donald and there it was, and the other Memorial also started with Mc.........but needed a space to show up in search. Someone place a flower on one of the Memorials stating they were not interred there. Yet that spacing proved them incorrect.

Another glitch in the search on VA National Gravesite Locator is in searching Hispanic names. If there are 2 surnames a hyphen should not be required, but when searching some names without it, nothing appears in results. Add a hyphen and it comes up.....just an FYI.......Beware and try both if necessary.

Started researching my Family Tree in the early 1970's. Grateful when DNA testing became avail, as it confirmed information my Grandfather found to be true, but could not be proven. My DNA testing in the early years of it's availability confirmed his Grandfather and his father's paternal line. We are still searching out his maternal line, with many DNA matches offering hope!

Special Thanks to Photographers filling my photo requests. So many memorials lacking photos, but a great bunch of volunteers completing all my requests. Thank You !!!!

I attach family members, IF I find proof, via records they are indeed family, there is proof they are interred where their memorial says they are (headstone photo, newspaper obituary (although not always reliable), death certificate showing name of cemetery...some kind of proof and not an assumption). I have found too many duplicate memorials, and memorials for people not interred where it is reported they were (No record of that person, in that cemetery, at the cemetery office), to chance making an incorrect connection.

As I edit Memorials I manage, I will be editing out the names of the living if mentioned. I have been getting warnings recently about living individuals and feel, like Ancestry, they may be trying to convert over to privacy of the living.

I want express a Huge Thank You to Support@Findagrave for all the work you do. I know you are dealing with huge backlogs, and hope I am helping, not hindering your efforts. Ya'll do a Great Job.