(a) At the request of the President the Secretary may conduct a program for honoring the memory of deceased veterans, discharged under honorable conditions, by preparing and sending to eligible recipients a certificate bearing the signature of the President and expressing the country's grateful recognition of the veteran's service in the Armed Forces.

The award of a certificate to one eligible recipient will not preclude authorization of another certificate if a request is received from some other eligible recipient. (b) For the purpose of this section an "eligible recipient" means the next of kin, a relative or friend upon request, or an authorized service representative acting on behalf of such relative or friend. (c) A certificate may not be furnished under the program under subsection (a) on behalf of a deceased person described in section 2411(b) of this title.