Faculty, veterans and community · For principals, alumni directors and veterans committees
A veterans wall of honor for schools that tells each person’s story
Give every graduate and staff member who served a permanent place at school. Each profile records the branch, the years of service, where they served and the life they built before and after.
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What is a veterans wall of honor for schools?
A veterans wall of honor for schools is a permanent display recognizing graduates and staff who served in the military, usually showing each person’s name, branch and years of service near the main entrance or library. HistoryShowcase gives each veteran a touchscreen profile with class year, branch, photos and a story families can review before it is published.
Updated
- Made for
- Principals, alumni directors and veterans committees
- Where schools put it
- Main entrance, Library near the archives, Your school website
- Layouts
- Portrait gallery, Profiles, Honors ledger
- Visitors can filter by
- Branch, Era
- Cost
- Free to use. No payment details required.
A plaque lists names. A wall of honor remembers people.
Many schools have a bronze plaque near the office with a few names, often only graduates killed in service, sometimes from only one war. Alumni who served in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan and came home are often missing entirely, and the plaque has no room for the branch, the years, or where they served.
A digital veterans wall of honor is permanent but never full. Each person gets a profile with their class year, branch, years of service, rank if the family wants it shown, and photos in uniform and at home. Families can send in details over time, and the school can add new names whenever an alum or staff member is identified, without waiting for a new plaque.
How does a veterans wall of honor for schools compare with a bronze plaque?
| What matters | Bronze memorial plaque | HistoryShowcase |
|---|---|---|
| Names it can hold | Fixed when the plaque is cast | New names added whenever confirmed |
| Details per person | A name and perhaps a year | Branch, years, photos and their story |
| Families far away | See it in person | Open the published web address |
| Sense of permanence | Solemn and lasting in bronze | Stays on your school’s touchscreen until archived |
| Confirming details | Before the plaque is cast | In a private draft before publishing |
What belongs on a veterans wall of honor
Branch and years of service
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, National Guard and reserves, with the years each person served.
Class year and era
Their graduation year and the era they served in, from World War II to recent service, so visitors see generations side by side.
Photos in and out of uniform
Service portraits, letters home and photos from their lives before and after. A profile holds up to 100 photos or files.
Their story in their family’s words
Where they served, what they did and the life they built afterward, written or reviewed by the veteran or their family.
Faculty and staff veterans
Teachers, coaches and staff who served, recognized alongside the graduates they taught.
Those who gave their lives
A dedicated collection for alumni killed in service, with dates and a tribute.
Structuring a wall of honor
Organize by branch so visitors find a family member quickly, and let them filter by era. Portrait galleries suit service photos.
Your siteWall of Honor
- ArmyPortrait gallery
Includes Army National Guard and reserves, with years of service in the subtitle.
- Navy and Marine CorpsPortrait gallery
Use a sub-collection for each branch if you have many names.
- Air Force, Space Force and Coast GuardPortrait gallery
Each profile notes the branch in the subtitle.
- Staff who servedProfiles
Faculty and staff veterans, with their role at school and their service.
- In memoriamHonors ledger
Names in quiet rows with branch and class year, each opening a full tribute.
Visitors can narrow it by
- Branch
- Era
How do you create a veterans wall of honor for schools?
Gather names from every source
Start with the existing plaque, old yearbooks and newspaper clippings, then invite alumni and families to send names, branches and years.
Confirm details with families
Check spelling, branch, years and rank before anything is shown. Keep each profile in a private draft until the family is comfortable.
Dedicate it, then keep adding
Publish for a dedication ceremony, Veterans Day or Memorial Day, then add new names whenever they are confirmed.
Where should a veterans wall of honor go?
- Main entranceStudents and visitors see it every day, not just on November 11.
- Library near the archivesNext to the yearbooks families use to find their relatives.
- Your school websiteShare the published address with alumni and families who live far away.
Veterans wall of honor questions
Who should be included?
Most schools include every graduate and staff member who served in any branch, including the National Guard and reserves, in wartime or peacetime. Decide your criteria with your veterans committee and say so on the home screen.
How do we verify service details?
Ask the veteran or their family to confirm branch, years and rank. Profiles stay in a private draft until someone with publishing access publishes them, so you can wait for confirmation.
Can families send photos and letters?
Yes. Scan or photograph what they share and add it to the profile, up to 100 photos or files each. Return the originals to the family.
Is this the same as our Veterans Day display?
No. The wall of honor is a permanent record. For the Veterans Day assembly, many schools build a separate collection for this year’s guests and program, shown alongside the wall.
