We pre-ordered it last August. My Dad passed last October and we placed the final order. They have installed my Mom's half, and she is still living, but not my Dad's, the veteran. The cemetery says it takes a long time. We were originally told up to 12 weeks which would have been in January. Then, oh sometimes 6 months which would have been April.
To the cemetery’s credit, it does seem that they have done their part regarding the granite and your mom’s marker. Here is the link to the site with phone numbers and form for ordering the stone and for follow up if the stone doesn’t show up.
https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330.pdf
This paragraph is from a web page.
“If more than 60 days have passed since submitting your claim and the grave is still not marked, you should contact the cemetery, funeral home, or other party responsible for accepting delivery of the headstone, marker or medallion to see if they have received it. If they have not received it, you may call our Applicant Assistance Unit between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday, at 1-800-697-6947.”
Here is the link this page is from.
https://www.cem.va.gov/hmm/
One last thought is if the stones or markers are coming from China, then that could be the hold up.
Did some checking; VA offices in Virginia are:
https://www.benefits.va.gov/roanoke/
and other sites:
https://www.benefits.va.gov/Roanoke/other-va-facilities.asp
They may not want to become involved if the marker was ordered through the cemetery, but on the other hand, they may want to, especially since the cemetery folks don't seem to be able to offer any insight into the delay.
Did you make arrangements for a salute with military honors when your father was buried? If so, the VA would already have been involved, and may step in to help.
I would also ask the cemetery to provide me with a more realistic delivery time and gently explain that you're concerned and don't understand the delay. Perhaps there are some legitimate reasons. Perhaps they just need a bit of a prod.
Did you pay them? Charge or cash? I can't remember whether I paid for my sister's marker (with special designs taken from a photo) before or after.
If you're already paid them, I would gently at first, then more forcefully if they don't respond to a concern that they have the money but you don't have the finished marker. Maybe hinting at dissatisfaction and potential negative publicity will help them figure out why they can't understand the delay.
Better Business Bureau is an option if they still can't understand the delay.
At this time, I would anticipate longer waits, but the increase in deaths has probably caused marker preparation to take much longer.
Did you order through the cemetery or through the VA, especially a local VA office that doesn't provide medical care but helps with handling various VA issues?