Honoring Veterans
We're proud to do our part in honoring our veterans for their dedication and selfless service to our country.
Eligibility
Military funeral honors are free of charge and mandated by law for eligible veterans. Eligibility will be verified by the veteran’s DD-214, or discharge papers. Eligible members include:
- Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and received an honorable discharge.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and received an honorable discharge.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Traditional Honors
All eligible veterans are entitled to a burial flag that may be draped over the casket or folded and displayed beside the casket.
Traditional honors include the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps. These honors are performed by an honor guard detail that consists of at least two members of the Armed Forces.
For those eligible veterans with a minimum of twenty years of service or retirees, full honors may also include, if available:
- A rifle volley salute
- A chaplain
- Military Pallbearers
Veteran Benefits
In addition to coordinating honors related to the service itself, we can help you communicate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to arrange for:
- Burial in a VA national cemetery: This includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a burial liner, and perpetual care.
- Headstones or markers: The VA provides military markers for the graves of veterans anywhere in the world and for eligible dependents of veterans buried in national, state, or military cemeteries.
- Memorial plots: If an eligible veteran's remains are not available for burial, the VA will provide a plot and headstone or marker in a national cemetery for memorialization. If you wish to place the memorial in a cemetery other than a national cemetery, the VA will provide the headstone or marker but not the plot itself.
- Reimbursement of some burial expenses under certain conditions. For information on eligibility and the different levels of potential reimbursement, please review their Guide to VA Burial Allowances.
Additional Resources
Please visit the following links for detailed information about the options available for honoring service members and other aspects of military funerals:
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Click on Veteran Services and look underneath the Burials & Memorials heading.
