I was taking a walk at the Bath National Cemetery, and I became intrigued by the symbols on the stones in the newer sections. The most common type was the one we generally expect to see – the Latin cross, with a short horizontal about a fourth of the way down a tall upright. It’s a basic Christian symbol, and in western European cultures (including ours) has come to be a sort of universally-recognized grave marker.
But, of course, not everyone is Christian, and so I’ve also been accustomed to seeing the Star of David from time to time on military grave markers. (For Jewish soldiers, in case you were wondering.)
Nowadays, though, 57 different emblems are in use. Some are denominational symbols within Christianity. There’s the United Methodist cross and flame, for instance. Lutherans have three to chose from… the Lutheran cross with a heart symbol, the Luther rose, and the Missouri Synod cross.
Quite a few of the approved emblems are actually variations on the familiar Latin cross. This goes for the Presbyterian symbol, and for the Presbyterian Church USA symbol, among others. The Armenian emblem, the Serbian Orthodox emblem, and two Celtic crosses fit in with our long experience. Some groups – U.C.C., C.M.A., Christian Reformed – make the cross part of a larger image. Messianic Judaism combines the cross with the Star of David. Russian Orthodoxy uses its own traditional three-bar cross.
But America, and America’s military personnel, are much bigger than that nowadays. Groups or movements with approved emblems for veterans’ cemeteries include Bahai (an eight-pointed star), Buddhism (the Buddhist wheel); the Native American Church (a teepee and other symbols); Mormonism (the familiar angel and trumpet); Hindu; Sikh; and Wiccan.
I had never heard the term Farohar, but correctly figured from the symbol that it was Zoroastrian.
Some groups, such as Eckankar and Sokka Gokkai, I knew only vaguely, while others were new to me entirely, at least by the terms and emblems here. Hammer of Thor is a Neopagan emblem, while Kohen Hands is an alternate Jewish symbol. The Sandhill Crane emblem, if I’ve got it right, symbolizes a close relationship with loved ones, rather than an organized faith. Certainly there’s nothing more out of place than a single sandhill crane. Does the Landing Eagle represent Eagle Spirituality?
Veterans or their loved ones can elect the Humanist symbol (a stylized H that forms a human being reaching high) or the Atheist symbol (the traditional atom depiction, with an A at the nucleus).
There are two symbols for Muslim veterans to choose from – a simple five-pointed star, or the familiar star-and-crescent.
Lest someone go into a swivet and start moaning that this is a CHRISTIAN country, and our traditional values are being destroyed, I dug out my 1959 Boy Scout Handbook. We horribly square Scouts in the Eisenhower years had three Religious Awards for various stripes of Protestant; one for Catholics; one for Jewish; one for Mormon; one for Eastern Orthodox; and one for Buddhist. Not long after publication we added two more: Religion in Life for Liberal Christianity, and In the Name of God, for Islam. Wanting my book to be complete, I sketched each of them in with the others on the religious awards pages.
There’s always been a lot more ethnic and religious variety in this country than many Americans have wanted to admit, even a handful of Muslims at the time of the Constitutional Convention (1787), and some 50 men from China who fought in the Civil War. And the trend has always been for MORE rather than LESS. Every year throughout our long history, we’ve been less homogeneous… or more diverse… than the year before. When someone volunteers for the military service of our country, which includes at least the POSSIBILITY of going in harm’s way, resenting their religious (or philosophical) emblem seems pretty small. We hold THAT truth to be self-evident.

A few of the currently-approved emblems.