Are GAR flag holders still available?

GAR no longer exists but you might try contacting its successor organization, SUV (Sons of Union Veterans) http://www.suvcw.org/?page_id=794 (this is the specific page that deals with its Grave Registration project). By this project, SUV is trying to find/identify graves of all Union vets.

I don't know how your town does things but, in this Maine town, flags are set out by the Boy Scouts under direction and supervision of local vet organizations. These organizations work with both the town office and the local historical society. Maine has special regulations regarding cemeteries that contain graves of veterans of earlier wars (and perhaps later--that's outside my area) and keeps a pretty close eye on this. If this is similar to your area, you might try contacting your town office, state, local veterans' organization or even the Scouts.
 
Just a follow-up: when my brothers and I realized that our father's grave didn't have a flag--he was a veteran of WW2 and had been very proud of his military service--I contacted the VA back in Massachusetts (where he is buried) which put me in contact with the correct state govt. office. I gave them all the military particulars of rank, etc. which was checked. It wasn't quick but the process moved along steadily; today there is a flag over Dad's grave on the appropriate days (but, of course, the flag holder isn't GAR). But you could check with your nearest VA.
 
Did one need to be in the GAR to get a GAR flag holder? There must have been Union Civil War veterans who did not join the GAR.
 
I just got one for a local CW veteran. I contacted our county historian who verified the veteran and he then contacted the VFW who placed a marker on his grave. I'd really like to see if there is a government program to get him a better stone as it is broken and not very legible anymore.
There is a program that allows for replacement of damaged markers that are over 50 years old. However, the VA has made it a lot more difficult to order stones than it used to be so, if you aren't a direct relative or legal representative, it'll be a pain. Also, if they determine the damage was done by cemetery personnel then they'll only provide a new stone if the cemetery pays for it (and they'll probably give you a runaround to prove it wasn't damaged by the cemetery; might be hard to prove a negative). If you do somehow manage to get a new stone the VA doesn't pay for installation (in private cemeteries) so you'd have to do it yourself or pay somebody.

We used to order stones for veterans that didn't have one but in more recent times we now often just go to a local monument company and have them make one. It's just a lot easier and quicker although there is more of a cost (but we get donations that usually cover it; if not, we've got funds).

Good luck.
 
Hello,
You may wish to contact the main office in Philadelphia for more information. I found several such stars offered for sale within a Delaware goodwill store.
After purchasing them, I tried to get them returned to the correct cemeteries listed on the reverse but after contacting the main office it seemed best to return them there.
I found the people there very helpful and interested in maintaining the proper reverence for those who had fought and were part of this organization.
 
There is a company called Gettysburg Flag Works that offers GAR markers in bronze , aluminum or thermo plastic. These are not exact copies of the originals.
 
I found this one at a flea market. It has a 24 inch bronze shaft that I removed, before cleaning up the medallion. I have now been told I should have left it in the original condition. Live and learn.

I am going to place this one on my GGGgrandfathers resting place.

Confederate War Veteran.jpg
 
Here is the link for the museum and organization I dealt with in Philadelphia. Various marker styles help determine the date of interment of the veteran. On the reverse, the markers I found had Westchester and another ( can’t remember) area cemetery information. So, these wasn’t a way to determine a number to correlate to the veteran to be able to place the marker back in the proper place.
The GAR org knew certain cemeteries had been checked and outfitted the appropriate missing markers. So, they opted to keep these markers for their display to show the various styles of markers known.

https://garmuslib.org/
Hope to get to visit the museum one day. I don’t think they quite knew what to do with a girl from Georgia, named Georgia, calling them about Union troop memorial markers. Once I explained I had family fighting on both sides of the war, they understood a bit more where I was coming from- but, I think my accent threw them off at first. :wink:
 
Hope to get to visit the museum one day. I don’t think they quite knew what to do with a girl from Georgia, named Georgia, calling them about Union troop memorial markers. Once I explained I had family fighting on both sides of the war, they understood a bit more where I was coming from- but, I think my accent threw them off at first. :wink:
Aside: There were nearly two of us: I was born in Georgia and my father wanted to name me "Georgia Chattahoochee". Fortunately for me, my mother overruled him (can you imagine anyone with a middle name like that in Maine?) ☺️
 
I don't know how your town does things but, in this Maine town, flags are set out by the Boy Scouts under direction and supervision of local vet organizations.
This is how I got into this - it's my sons' Scout troop that does the flags each year. His troop is sponsored by the local American Legion but they don't give us a list or any guidance on who gets flags.

However, the VA has made it a lot more difficult to order stones than it used to be
I got an earful from the woman who manages this cemetery - she is VERY frustrated with the VA and upset that some families have their requests for plaques denied. I don't know all the history of this but it does seem a shame that some of our veterans are not getting a stone or plaque that denotes their service.
 
@John Hartwell this is very helpful. While it would be nice to have GAR markers - as you pointed out I don't know if they were GAR members. The important thing for me is that the Scouts know who gets a flag and who doesn't. We descend on the cemetery the Friday before Memorial Day. The boys are good and want to put flags in the right spots, but without a list or a map it's very hard. They have to rely on tombstones, memorial plaques, and flag holders to guide them. If we had holders at all the graves where there isn't another indicator that the deceased is a veteran, we could ensure all the men were honored.
 
@John Hartwell this is very helpful. While it would be nice to have GAR markers - as you pointed out I don't know if they were GAR members. The important thing for me is that the Scouts know who gets a flag and who doesn't. We descend on the cemetery the Friday before Memorial Day. The boys are good and want to put flags in the right spots, but without a list or a map it's very hard. They have to rely on tombstones, memorial plaques, and flag holders to guide them. If we had holders at all the graves where there isn't another indicator that the deceased is a veteran, we could ensure all the men were honored.
Records of the local GAR Post might help. The SUVCW maintains a listing of surviving records.

Doesn't the cemetery office have a list of veterans' graves, and a map of the lots? They usually keep pretty close track of such things ... at least around here. It might be different for some small, private rural cemeteries, but even they are often under some sort of local government oversight.
 
This is how I got into this - it's my sons' Scout troop that does the flags each year. His troop is sponsored by the local American Legion but they don't give us a list or any guidance on who gets flags.
Oh dear! Perhaps you ought to run for office--and hold the Legion to task! Or, go over the Legion's head to your congressional representative (especially in this political season, they are anxious to appear as community-friendly).
 
In trying to locate all the Civil War veterans in my local cemetery, I found only a few have the metal GAR stands designed to hold a small flag next to their graves. I would love for each of the veterans to have this but don't know if the holders are still made. Does anyone know?
If you go to the Sons of union Veterans main page and click on Store you will find GAR Markers for $18.
 
In Iowa, the county Veterans Affairs office will provide veterans with a flag holder at no cost, they look like the GAR markers, although there is different GAR markers from different posts.
 
Aside: There were nearly two of us: I was born in Georgia and my father wanted to name me "Georgia Chattahoochee". Fortunately for me, my mother overruled him (can you imagine anyone with a middle name like that in Maine?) ☺️
Oh, I do think we will get along beautifully! My complete name is a traditional Southern double name if Georgia Alice. Both names are family names and I appreciate the history and tradition behind them.

My maiden name is Shotts. Momma always told me to never seriously date a man you would not name a child for. I know she must’ve loved Daddy dearly as his full name was quite a mouthful.

It came out years after I was born, that I would’ve been the III named after my Daddy and Grandfather had I Been born a boy. My parents were planning on nicknaming me Buck.
( which was a nickname my Daddy had in his youth along with Sonny and Booka)

Can you comprehend what it would have been like going through life and all the times I’d have gotten beat up on the playground being named “Buck Shotts?”
 
Records of the local GAR Post might help. The SUVCW maintains a listing of surviving records.

Doesn't the cemetery office have a list of veterans' graves, and a map of the lots? They usually keep pretty close track of such things ... at least around here. It might be different for some small, private rural cemeteries, but even they are often under some sort of local government oversight.
The woman who runs the cemetery now - who is terrific and was super helpful when my mother died - says the records are very uneven, great for some years and completely missing for others. The cemetery has always been run by a board of local citizens and thus not always well. The town had to step in some years back to get the association back on track.

I love the idea of looking for the GAR records - thanks for suggesting that. I don't know if there was a branch just for our town - until after WW2 we were pretty small. But there may be one that covered our town then.
 
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