Notation for Veterans’ Records

Revised December 4, 2008

 

We are attempting to bring uniformity in the abbreviations used and text within the records to acknowledge the service of veterans in the Arkansas Gravestones database. The recommended surname line abbreviations plus a sample record with footnotes appear below.

 

These revised guidelines are suggested for several reasons. The first is a desire, as always, to have the best possible database for Arkansas' Veterans. We also wish to make the memorials uniform, as befitting our Veterans, and to make them easy to read.  The most important reason is that the number of our contributors is constantly increasing as is the number of Veterans' memorials. This format makes the memorials much easier to review and approve. We are very appreciative of the efforts of each contributor to honor our deserving Veterans and ensuring that they will not be forgotten.

 

 

 Surname Line Notation For Veterans

 

Notation                                  Name of War or Conflict

(Veteran)                       Veteran (served during peace time; war or conflict unknown)

(Veteran 2 Wars)         Service in 2 wars

(Veteran 3 Wars)         Service in 3 wars

(Veteran RW)               Revolutionary War

(Veteran 1812)              War of 1812

(Veteran IW)                Indian Wars (all)

(Veteran CSA)              Veteran of the Confederacy (Civil War)

(Veteran Union)           Veteran of the Union (Civil War)

(Veteran BBW)            Arkansas’ Brooks-Baxter War

(Veteran SAW)            Spanish American War

(Veteran MAW)          Mexican-American War

(Veteran WWI)           World War I

(Veteran WWII)          World War II

(Veteran Kor)               Korean Conflict

(Veteran Viet)              Vietnam War

(Veteran PGW)            Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm

(Veteran Iraq)              Iraq War

 

Include statements in the comments about the veteran’s service, branch of the military, rank, and if known, the units in which they served that exactly parallel the information on the gravestone as shown on the sample record.

 

Sample Record

Footnotes (see the numbered items within the sample record shown above):

1.         The Given Name(s) should never be entered in ALL CAPITALS.

2.         DO NOT repeat the given name(s) and surname with the other information entered about the veteran’s service. The system software displays this information in the public view; thus the names are redundant if they are also entered in the comments.

3.         All other information on the gravestone, except for the person’s rank (see item 4 in the sample shown above), should be entered with the first letters of all proper nouns capitalized and the remainder entered in lower case letters.  The names of all military service medals and awards should be fully written out (see the list of common abbreviations and the sample record shown below). All other information on the        gravestone should be entered exactly as shown on the gravestone and in the same order.

4.         See Footnote no. 3.

5.         Enter the dates as shown on the gravestone. The words “Born” and “Died” are not needed.

6.         Space down one line (i.e., insert a blank line) then enter additional information about the veteran if desired. If the veteran also has a civilian gravestone, this may not be necessary.

 

 

Notation for Prisoners of War and Persons Killed in Action or Missing in Action

 

(Veteran Name of War, POW)  

(Veteran Name of War, MIA)

(Veteran Name of War, KIA)

 

If there is room on the surname line for inclusion of the abbreviations, POW, MIA or KIA, within the parentheses, include this notation after the name of the war in which the veteran served.

For a veteran who was missing in action or was interred overseas, but their family erected a monument in their home cemetery, the word cenotaph should be entered below the other information entered.

 [A cenotaph is a monument erected in memory of a deceased person whose body was buried elsewhere.]

 

 

Military Service Medals and Awards

[This notation is normally above the dates at the bottom of the gravestone]

AM - Air Medal
ACM - Army Commendation Medal
BS or BSM - Bronze Star or Bronze Star Medal
CSC - Conspicuous Service Cross
DFC - Distinguished Flying Cross

DSC – Distinguished Service Cross

DSM – Distinguished Service Medal
LOM - Legion of Merit
MOH - Medal of Honor

NC – Navy Cross
PH - Purple Heart
SS or SSM - Silver Star or Silver Star Medal

 

These abbreviations generally follow another award to indicate superior achievement or multiple awards:

A - Achievement
V - Valor
OLC - Oak Leaf Cluster (generally follows another award to indicate multiple awards)

 

This list was taken in part from: 

http://genealogy.about.com/od/military_records/a/abbreviations.htm?p=1