Add a Loved One

The Department of Defense’s Military In Lasting Tribute online memorial is dedicated to recognizing and remembering service members who died while serving honorably on active duty from 1985 to the present. It is the only DOD memorial that includes peacetime deaths. Eventually, the memorial will include service members who died before 1985.

Yes, provided they meet the same criteria as any other deceased service member. The memorial recognizes service members who died while serving honorably on active duty from 1985 to the present. Those who are not eligible to be honored include any person:

• Who did not die in an active-duty status
• Who was convicted of a federal or state capital crime
• Who avoided prosecution of a federal or state capital crime by flight or death
• Who was convicted of being a Tier III sex offender
• Who committed a crime leading to their own death
• Whose death occurred under circumstances that would bring discredit upon the person’s military service

The Military In Lasting Tribute memorial will live forever in the digital landscape.

Most service members who died while on active duty from 1985 to the present and who served honorably are eligible for the Military In Lasting Tribute memorial. Those who are not eligible to be honored in the memorial include any person:

• Who did not die in an active-duty status
• Who was convicted of a federal or state capital crime
• Who avoided prosecution of a federal or state capital crime by flight or death
• Who was convicted of being a Tier III sex offender
• Who committed a crime leading to their own death
• Whose death occurred under circumstances that would bring discredit upon the person’s military service

At this time, service members who died while on active duty prior to 1985 are not eligible due to data limitations. Deaths prior to 1985 require validation through the National Personnel Records Center. Due to the resurgence of coronavirus disease 2019 in the local communities, the NPRC is operating at a reduced capacity. As of Aug. 2, 2021, the NPRC had reduced its on-site staffing to 10% of the workforce. While they remain in this state, they will continue to service emergency requests associated with medical treatments, burials and homeless veterans trying to gain admittance to homeless shelters. The NPRC asks that everyone refrain from submitting nonemergency requests such as replacement medals, administrative corrections or records research until it returns to pre-COVID-19 staffing levels.

The submission process is open to family members who have access to the service member’s pertinent information from the DD Form 1300, “Report of Casualty.”

Family members can begin the submission process by clicking on the plus sign in the “Add a Loved One” box at the top of this page, where they will find a submission form and instructions. They will be guided through a five-step process that begins with eligibility questions and requires the family member to enter key data from DD Form 1300, “Report of Casualty,” into the online form. They will also be asked to upload a photo, if one is available. The service member’s information will be verified against their individual deceased personnel file before being approved for display in the memorial.

Photographs should show the service member in military uniform for the service branch they were in when they died or in business attire and feature only the service member. Photos must be in PNG or JPG format, with a suggested size of 500 pixels by 500 pixels and a maximum file size of 5MB. Portrait orientation is recommended. Once you upload your loved one’s photo, you will be able to crop it as needed.

Once the memorial request is processed and approved, the service member’s tribute will be published on the memorial website. In addition to being displayed in the group photo gallery, the service member will have an individual page that displays their name (first name, middle name, last name and suffix with just one space between the words), their photo or service branch seal and information such as rank and date of death. Visitors to the site will have the option to share the link to the memorial via email or social media.

You will be able to view your service member’s memorial as soon as it has been approved and published. We will carefully compare your submission with your service member’s official military record and contact you if there are any discrepancies. You will receive an email when your service member is added to the memorial. That email will include a link to your service member’s individual memorial. You can check the status of your submission at any time by clicking on the “Check Status of an Honoree” link found under the “Add a Loved One” box at the top of this page.

If you have new information and evidence to confirm your service member’s eligibility for the memorial, contact your service casualty office.

The DOD respects the privacy of its service members and surviving family members. Deceased service members will not be added to the memorial without a family member’s permission. Family members who wish to include their loved one in the memorial should submit a memorial request and photo through the Add a Loved One form linked at the top of this page.

You can request updates to an existing honoree’s memorial by selecting the Update Honoree link on the service member’s individual tribute page. You will be asked to verify the email address you used when you submitted the original request for the service member to be included in the memorial. Once verified, you may submit a request to update your service member’s information or photo. If you did not submit the original request to add the service member to the memorial, there is a separate process to verify that you are eligible to request edits to the memorial.

All requests to add service members to the Military In Lasting Tribute memorial are verified against their official military record. Once verified, the service member’s information from their official military record is used for the memorial. We cannot display information that does not match that record, nor can we change the format or order of the information.

Some things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure to search the service member’s legal name.
2. Do not use nicknames for your search. The names displayed on the memorial are from the service member’s official record.
3. Do not include punctuation in your search terms.
4. Check the name being searched for typos.
5. Try searching by last name only to broaden your results.
6. View all honorees and filter by branch of service, year of death and/or rank.
7. Keep in mind that the next of kin may have chosen not to submit the service member for inclusion in the memorial.

If you submitted a request to add your service member to be honored in the memorial but they have not yet been added, you can check the status of your submission at any time using the “Check Status of an Honoree” link above.

If you have not yet submitted a request to add your service member to the memorial, submit a request through the “Add a Loved One” form linked above.

The memorial launched on Nov. 10, just in time for Veterans Day on Nov. 11. Official promotion of the website will begin in December.
Nov. 11 has long been a sacred day for our country. In 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was declared that marked the end of World War I.
And now, more than a century later, we’re proud to have created the Military In Lasting Tribute memorial:

• A way to rededicate ourselves to recognizing our heroes
• Made for the 21^st century and the world we live in now
• As ever-present and enduring as our respect

The DOD is committed to providing an enduring remembrance and recognition of service members who died while serving our nation as well as to the family and friends they left behind.

If your loved one did not die on active duty and does not meet the criteria for the Military In Lasting Tribute Memorial, they may be eligible to be honored through the Department of Veterans Affairs digital platform, the Veterans Legacy Memorial. The Veterans Legacy Memorial pays tribute to millions of veterans buried in national cemeteries. In the future, the VA has plans to expand its memorial to veterans buried in cemeteries maintained by state governments and, eventually to those buried in private cemeteries. You can learn more about the Veterans Legacy Memorial and get details on how to memorialize your veteran at https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/

Though we cannot make any promises, we encourage you to submit your loved one for consideration, as your service member’s military service department will conduct a higher-level review.

There is a wealth of support available from Military OneSource to support survivors. Visit the Gold Star & Surviving Family Members ─ Resources page on MilitaryOneSource.mil for information about:

Casualty Assistance

• The Casualty Assistance Program: The Defense Department’s Casualty Assistance Program ensures that military families have support in their time of need, including help understanding their benefits and other forms of assistance.
• Long-term case management: Your casualty assistance officer will eventually return to their primary job full time. But long-term case management is available to support your needs and answer any survivor-related questions you may have.
• Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representative: If you are not satisfied with the casualty assistance provided by your service or are having issues receiving military survivor benefits authorized by law, you may contact your DOD Gold Star and Surviving Family Member Representatives.

Grief counseling and resilience tools

• Bereavement counseling: Military OneSource provides bereavement counseling 24/7 to all active-duty service members, National Guard and reserves and eligible family members, including unremarried surviving spouses. There are also camps and other groups available to help children. The Department of Veterans Affairs also offers bereavement counseling to eligible parents, spouses and children of active-duty and National Guard or reserve members who die while on military duty.
• Helpful guides and directories: These guides can help you and your family deal with grief and other challenges you may be facing and direct you to other support available to service members and their families. These include A Survivor’s Guide to Benefits: Taking Care of Our Families; The Days Ahead and the National Resource Directory.
• Support organizations: Many organizations offer support from people who understand grief and may have been through a similar experience. A full listing of support and service organizations is available in “The Days Ahead.”
• Relationships and stress can affect a service member’s satisfaction in life. Military OneSource’s suite of resilience tools can help you manage your mood, strengthen your partner relationship, and help you become more mission-ready.

Financial counseling

• Online survivor benefits reports: The interactive online survivor benefits report allows you to view current and estimated future benefits, and set up saving and spending plans to help you forecast your financial future.
• Beneficiary financial counseling services: Financial counseling services are offered to beneficiaries of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection and Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance.
• Military OneSource also provides financial counseling services. Military OneSource financial counselors are available in-person, over the phone and video. Call 800-342-9647 or click here for overseas calling options.
• Military OneSource also provides access to a suite of mobile apps for military benefits information, financial information and tools to help you manage your stress and stay strong in body and mind.

Find more information on MilitaryOneSource.mil, call 800-342-9647 or click here for overseas calling options, or schedule a live chat.