Dear Nancy: There are a number of requirements for a name to be added to the "Wall". Just to demonstrate the technicalities here's requirements for a name to be listed on my county's war memorial:
Eligibility: Persons who were serving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, in both an active duty and reserve status, and those persons subject to the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) who were killed or become missing in action. The deceased or missing in action person must have listed as “home of record” on his/her enlistment documents, or commissioning documents, a community within Douglas County or Douglas County itself.
Eligibility Criteria: The basis for listing a name on a memorial plaque will be a Douglas County Citizen who is recorded in the National Archives or on Department of Defense (DOD) records as killed in action, or missing in action. The basic DOD casualty record is the DD Form 1300 Report of Casualty. This form records the home of record of the deceased or missing person and whether or not the casualty was caused by hostile or non-hostile reasons. The form also indicates the circumstances surrounding the casualty situation. Following the protocol of war memorials in history, and memorials in our nation’s capital, the names on our memorial are restricted to those military members killed as the direct result of hostile actions, or during the duties of combat, most often prompting the award of a Purple Heart Medal. Also permitted for recording is the death of a service member within the geographical borders of a declared war zone, either accidental or other cause. This geographical limitation does not exclude those who might be involved in tasks, or actions outside the war zone that are considered direct combat activities.
An example of these circumstances was addressed in September 1985. A Department of Defense statement expanded the definition of "combat casualty," for the purpose of the Washington, D.C. Vietnam Memorial, to include "Any deaths which occurred as a result of aircraft accidents enroute to or returning from a direct combat mission to bomb, strafe, or perform surveillance of targets within the defined combat area." Since the declaration of the War on Terrorism, combat deaths may be worldwide without geographical limits. These casualties are reported by the Department of Defense on a DD Form 1300 Report of Casualty. The qualifying factor in these instances would be made by the member’s respective service. These requirements are not meant to minimize or lessen the gratitude of citizens concerning the deaths of those killed outside war zones as the result of accidents, or during times of peace, and do not qualify for memorial listing. It is also acknowledged and not minimized that persons also die long after being wounded or exposed to hazardous conditions of combat. These determinations are often difficult and technical. That is why there is the “combat” delineation as stated above in this paragraph.
The easiest way to add a name is to contact your local Veterans Service Officer, or your senator or congressman...it's a long hard process. I've been involved in two efforts to have deceased friends added, and was successful in one case, and failed in the other. Let me know how you make out.
