The American Legion Posts &/or family members can get these flag markers & flags from the Veteran's Affairs Office & place them on the Veteran's graves. They are the one who places a new flag in the flag holder on Memorial Day. This is being very difficult-- American Legions are closing & there are fewer Vet's. If you think someone else, that you do not know, maybe visiting your relatives grave, leave a note in a ziplock plastic bag taped to the gravestone--YOU just may find someone else doing research on your family!! :) There are index cards at the VA Office--I have used these files many times over the years. From the dates on these cards, for the Revolutionary War to the Spanish-American War, it appears there were cemetery surveys done in the 1930s on Veteran's graves. I have found mistakes & incorrect info on some of the index cards --but I'm sure you know gravestones can be very hard to read! At any given time these makers may be moved, when cutting grass, people trying to be funny, stolen, etc. I had a woman contact me last week, while doing genealogy research she found a marker on her forefather's grave but does not believe he served in the Civil War-- this is not uncommon it happens all the time. My husband died in 1960, at the age of 23 & I have replaced his marker more than 5 times over the years & I probably could have replaced it even more times then that! Where did his marker disappear all these times? I just ordered close to 80 of these markers for the graves of the Veteran's from the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, The Mexican War, The Civil War & The Spanish-American War that are buried at St. Martin's Cemetery in Marcus Hook, PA. A large order of this nature has to be placed in January, that is then the VA Office places there yearly order. Happy hunting, Helen