Our Missions

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War has three primary missions:

Honoring Union Veterans
The SUVCW cooperates in doing honor to all who have patriotically served our country in any war. The Order participates with other organizations in the proper observance of Memorial Day (May 30th), which was established by the GAR in 1868, seeks out and marks the graves of Civil War veterans; observes the care and upkeep of Civil War Memorials and brings any failure to do so to the attention of the proper authorities.

Preserving & Perpetuating the GAR
The SUVCW assists in the preservation and making available for research, the documents and records pertaining to the Grand Army of the Republic and its members. The Order ensures that the condition of signage along U.S. Route 6, the GAR highway, is properly maintained. The SUVCW supplies scholarships, funding to the annual Lincoln Memorial and Tomb Ceremonies, and to the Gettysburg Remembrance Day Ceremony, which includes the country’s largest Civil War parade, held on the third Saturday in November. Grants for Civil War Memorial preservation are also provided. Meetings and Encampments (conventions) are still conducted according to the tradition and rituals of the GAR.

Patriotic Education
The SUVCW’s patriotic education includes teaching patriotism and the duties of citizenship, the true history of our country, and the love and respect for our Flag. Each year, the Order conducts presentations to schools and communities. The SUVCW encourages the proper teaching of American history in our schools. It keeps the public informed of activities and measures that violate or may weaken the spirit and purposes of our country’s Constitution and institutions. It promotes and broadly sustains the American principles of representative government, of equal rights and impartial justice for all.