R.D. - I am not sure what you mean. If you cannot blog it, use my email listed. There are two headstones I would like...One being for my Great grandfather, Thomas Cussen who enlisted May 4, 1861, private in Hebert's Jefferson County Mounted Rangers Beaumont)- (they dismounted or disbanded after 3 mos). He re enlisted, ranked up as Corporal, with Cpt O'Brien (changed to Maj Liken's which eventually was Spaight's)...all within weeks...you could get dizzy, ha. I can't seem to locate any muster rolls for most of 1863.

But, George found he had been not present for July, in arrest, and after that, recorded as deserted in December. I wish I could find out about the missing years.

So, I don't think a headstone would be approved. Sad. Without knowing the details, but he did serve.

The second headstone I wanted was for my grandfather, Ernest Francis Smith from Galveston. There is nothing on Fold3 or ancestry. I only found a reference number on NARA. On the 1910 Census, he was aboard the USS California at Mare Island. From Nara the enlistment date was 10/15/09. His WWI draft registration listed he was in service 4 years. The only other item on Nara I found was his service number. (00187032).

Sadly, many of my family member's headstones washed away during the extreme hurricanes and flooding in Galveston.

Thanks for listening (reading). I want to honor them.

PS: Any ideas on a erecting a military headstone for a recorded "deserter"? I read more than 5,000 Texas soldiers deserted during the civil war (Hmmm. "Civil War" - definitely an oxymoron. ha). Do you think it would be inappropriate? Anyone's thoughts appreciated. My heart wants to honor him.