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How to Write an Obituary for a Veteran

Writing an obituary can be challenging, but when your loved one was a veteran and their service was an important part of their life...

Writing an Obituary for a Veteran

Writing an obituary can be challenging, but when your loved one was a Veteran, it can be challenging if you are unfamiliar with the language and customs of the military.

Here are helpful hints on how to write an obituary for a Veteran. You can use these tips for a free obituary on our website and other digital platforms.

Essential Information to Gather for a Veteran's Obituary

Like writing other obituaries, the first step is to gather information. You’ll need to know their dates of service, branch of service and rank, where they served, and medals and decorations awarded. If you don’t have the information you need and you have enough time to wait for the response, the government does provide military service records by request. 

Information to Gather for a Veteran's Obituary

Keep in mind the accepted collective nouns for each service branch: 

  • U.S. Army: Soldiers
  • U.S. Navy: Sailors
  • U.S. Marine Corps: Marines
  • U.S. Air Force: Airmen (gender-neutral name applies to all Air Force service members)
  • U.S. Space Force: Guardians
  • U.S. Coast Guard: Coast Guardsmen or Coasties

If you don’t have the information you need and you have enough time to wait for the response, the government does provide military service records by request.

Reference Military Titles Correctly

It is appropriate to reference a person by their rank even if they had retired from the military. Each rank has an appropriate abbreviation and ranks vary by branch. 

There was a time when obituaries were largely written by newspaper reporters and editors instead of family members and some of the guides journalists use can be of help when trying to determine the right way to reference a military title or unit. 

For example, the Associated Press Stylebook says to: 

  • Capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title. 
  • Use the appropriate title before the full name. 
  • Only use the last name in the following mentions. 
  • Use lowercase when the title is used to substitute for a name. 
  • They give the example: “Gen. John Jones is the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The general endorsed the idea.” 
  • The guide also says a retired officer’s rank can be used on the first reference if it is relevant but not to use the abbreviation “Ret.”

Even the military sometimes uses the AP style guide to make it easier on civilians to understand its publications. 

The AP style guide also has guidance around military units and says to use Arabic figures and capitalize key words when linking to the figures, for example, “1st Infantry Division” or “5th Battalion.”

Medals and Decorations

All branches of the military issue a number of medals and decorations to recognize service, achievements, and accomplishments. When writing a military obituary, consider the following:

List Awards By Order of Importance

For reference, the public service site MilitaryRanks.org provides a ranking of these awards. Here’s an example from the late Sen. John McCain’s obituary: “His military decorations include the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Star medals, two Purple Hearts, and the Prisoner of War Medal.”

Additional tips:

  • Medals are "awarded," never "won," or "earned."
  • The highest award, the **Medal of Honor**, should never be referred to as the "Congressional Medal of Honor."
  • Always use the veteran's highest achieved rank and full title. 

Creating a Respectful Farewell for a Veteran

Understanding how to handle a Veteran’s decorations, rank and accomplishments in writing can help you craft an obituary that will properly pay tribute to their service to our country.

Obituaries for military personnel require a unique approach that can seem daunting if you’re unfamiliar with the process. Don’t worry – there are templates readily available to help get you started, such as these templates on Everloved and Love to Know. They can guide you structurally on what to include in your loved one's obituary and even offer suggestions on how to create a moving tribute.

All our locations are staffed with experts in memorializing Veterans. Find a nearby location and we'll help you through this process.

To learn about Veteran's funeral traditions next, read our article: Everything You Need to Know About Veteran Funeral Traditions.

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