Last Union Veteran Project
Beginning in 2003, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) embarked on the Last Soldier Project, now the Last Union Veteran Project. The purpose of the project is to locate and appropriately mark the final resting place of the last Civil War Soldier buried in each county/parish and in each state of this great country.
The Last Union Veteran project is funded, in part, by the SUVCW's Monuments and Memorials Grant Fund and also by obtaining contributions of the citizens, local veteran organizations and governmental agencies.
The Last Union Veteran project marries the efforts of the SUVCW's grave registration and Monument restoration programs. The objective of the SUVCW's Monuments and Memorials Grant Fund is to restore and preserve Civil War Monuments. The SUVCW Council of Administration authorized that new monuments and memorials could be subsidized from Monuments and Memorials Grant Fund after all requests for restoration/preservation have be filled. Requests for new monuments and the Last Soldier Project will be entertained by the SUVCW Council of Administration between May 1st and June 15th of each year. Requests will be honored on a first come, first served basis from SUVCW Camps and Departments.
The intent of the SUVCW is not to fully fund any memorial for the Last Union Veteran project. Rather, the SUVCW intends that the Camps/Departments make contact with other organizations to obtain contributions to the project. This serves two purposes. First, it gets the the public’s attention and affords the SUVCW with an opportunity to interact more within the local community. Second, the SUVCW is capbable of doing more with the money in the fund.
The SUVCW is aware that in counties and states with strong historical societies, the effort of funding the Last Soldier project will be rather easy, while for other areas, this project will be a little more difficult. But as this project is to be a shared effort, it may bring a greater attention to the sacrifices that ALL our Veterans have made to this great county. It may also serve as a wonderful project for prospective Eagle scouts and encourage veterans’ organizations to search for the Last Soldier of all wars.
Presented below are links to two tools that will be helpful in the SUVCW Last Union Veteran Project.