US Military Tombstones

There was an interesting brief discussion on one of the Disciples email listservs this week, related to a photo of President Barack Obama at Arlington National Cemetery on Veteran's Day. A copy of the photo is here.

Someone recognized that the headstone visible on the right has a Disciples chalice on it. When I last visited Arlington, I too noticed some unusual markings on headstones. I had believed -- wrongly, as it turns out -- that there were three main markings on the headstones, a Christian cross, a Jewish Star of David, and a Muslim star and crescent moon. It turns out that there are 39 emblems that the government will inscribe on military tombstones, including several denominational symbols like the Disciples chalice and even a Atheist symbol (I did not know that there was any such recognizable symbol for strident non-believers).