For the purpose of locating the burial places of United States War Veterans and reporting to the United States Government under the provisions of the Federal Law respecting the erection of headstones at the graves of United States War Veterans and the erection of memorial markers where the remains of such veterans were not recovered or were buried at sea, the Department of Veterans' Affairs shall maintain a card file Roll of Honor, alphabetically arranged, of all veterans buried in the State or, if no remains were recovered or if such remains were buried at sea, of all the memorial markers for such veterans placed in the State and an additional record by counties showing the burials or memorial markers in each cemetery in each county. The records, so far as obtainable, shall contain the name of the veteran, war served in, his rank, organizations, dates of enlistment and discharge, date of death, description of grave or memorial marker, and name and location of cemetery. It shall also be his duty to prepare requisitions on the Federal Government for headstones or memorial markers when same are desired and to supervise their transportation from the railroad station to and erection at the grave of the veteran or at the site for the erection of a memorial marker if no remains were recovered or if such remains were buried at sea, certifying bills for same for payment.
The Department of Veterans' Affairs shall appoint such additional employees as may be required to maintain the records of War Veterans Graves and Memorial Markers Registration. The appointment of such employees shall not be subject to the provisions of any law relating to civil service or job classification on a merit basis.
"United States War Veterans", for purposes of this Act, means:
(1) Soldiers of the Union and Confederate Armies of the Civil War.(2) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States dying in the service and former members whose last service terminated honorably.(3) Persons buried in post and national cemeteries.(4) Members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, and members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, whose death occurred under honorable conditions while they were: (a) on active duty for training, or performing full-time service under Section 316, 503, 504, or 505 of Title 32, United States Code;(b) performing authorized travel to or from that duty or service;(c) on authorized inactive duty training, including training performed as members of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard; or(d) hospitalized or undergoing treatment, at the expense of the United States, for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while they were:(i) on that duty or service;(ii) performing that travel or inactive duty training; or(iii) undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expenses of the United States.(5) Members of the Reserve Officers Training Corps of the Army, Navy, Space Force, or Air Force whose death occurred under honorable conditions while they were: (a) attending an authorized training camp or on an authorized practice cruise;(b) performing authorized travel to or from that camp or cruise; or(c) hospitalized or undergoing treatment, at the expense of the United States, for injury or disease contracted or incurred under honorable conditions while they were:(i) attending that camp or on that cruise;(ii) performing that travel; or(iii) undergoing that hospitalization or treatment at the expense of the United States.Amended by P.A. 103-0746,§ 95, eff. 1/1/2025. P.A. 91-357, eff. 7/29/1999.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.