Ensure You Honor Your Veteran At Their Funeral
How to Honor your Veteran After They Pass Away | Miramar National Cemetery San Diego, CA
When a loved one passes away, we want to honor their life and what they stood for. When a Veteran dies, we honor their commitment to offering up their own life to protect and serve others and ensure we celebrate the life they have lived. With a commitment this all-encompassing, we want to fully recognize their service to our country and to those who cannot protect themselves.
One way that you can honor your veteran is by making sure that they receive military honors at their funeral. A trumpeter playing Taps, a folded flag, gun salute, and a fly over come to mind. Your funeral director can help with these types of arrangements.
Reminder: Benefits do not come automatically to qualified veterans; they must be requested. It can take considerable time and effort to complete and submit the appropriate paperwork for VA burial benefits. But there's help available and The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not cover ALL of the costs associated with funeral or cremation for an honorably discharged veteran.
Veteran’s Burial Allowance
If you are paying for the burial and funeral costs, you may be eligible for a Veteran’s burial allowance which covers burial and funeral costs, the plot (gravesite) or interment. It also includes transporting the Veteran’s remains if there is a burial in a national cemetery.
If you are the Veteran’s surviving spouse, you don’t even have to file a claim as long as you’re listed as the Veteran’s spouse on the Veteran’s profile. When the Department of Veteran’s Affairs receives notice of the Veteran’s death, you automatically receive a set amount for help to pay for the plot, the cost of internment, or transportation of the remains to the cemetery.
You can apply for a Veteran’s Burial Allowance online if you are:
The Veteran’s surviving spouse
The surviving partner from a legal union
A surviving parent or child of the Veteran
The executor or administrator of the Veteran’s estate
The Veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge, and one of these circumstances must be true. The Veteran died:
As a result of a disability-related to service
While getting VA care, either at a VA facility or at a facility contracted by VA
While traveling with proper authorization, and at VA expense, either to or from a facility for an examination, or to receive treatment or care
With an original or reopened claim for VA compensation or pension pending at the time of death, if they would’ve been entitled to benefits before the time of death
While receiving VA pension or compensation
While eligible for VA pension or compensation at the time of death, but instead received full military retirement or disability pay
While receiving a VA pension or compensation
While receiving military retired pay instead of compensation
There are several documents you will need to apply for this benefit. You may work with your funeral director to begin the process of claiming benefits to help pay for any burial entitlements from the Department of Veterans Affairs. If you apply on your own, the list of needed documents can be found at Veteran’s Burial Allowance.
HEADSTONE INFORMATION: Click Here
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not cover ALL of the costs associated with funeral or cremation for an honorably discharged veteran.
While some financial benefits and recognition are provided to honorably discharged veterans, reimbursement for funeral or cremation service expenses is limited and usually only applies to veterans who:
Were disabled due to a service-related injury; or
Retired from the Armed Services; or
Died in a VA hospital or nursing home under VA contract.
Generally speaking, neither the VA nor the various branches of service cover the cost of a casket for a deceased veteran unless the death occurs while on active duty.
Request a “Military Funeral and Honor Guard”.
Your funeral home director will request military funeral honors on behalf of a Veterans’ family from the National Cemetery or local VFW, DAV, VVA or American Legion group. If you are already involved in talking with other groups, let your funeral director know. I highly recommend the Patriot Guard Riders.
Military honors include an honor guard detail of at least two members of the U.S. armed forces. At least one member of the detail must be a representative from the deceased veteran’s service branch. The honor detail performs a ceremony that includes the playing of taps and the folding and presentation of the American flag to the next of kin.
A Presidential Memorial Certificate can be requested.
The families of honorably discharged, deceased veterans are entitled to receive an engraved paper certificate signed by the current U.S. President to honor the memory of the deceased veteran. Eligible recipients include the deceased veteran's next of kin and loved ones. More than one certificate may be requested. Eligible recipients, or someone acting on their behalf, may apply in person at any VA regional office or by U.S. mail. Should your family wish to request a certificate and require assistance, your funeral director can help.
A formal request must be made to receive a U.S. flag.
A ceremonial flag will be provided upon request, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran at no cost. Only one flag is provided per veteran, and it is generally given to the next of kin.
To receive a flag, VA Form 21-2008, Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes must be submitted along with a copy of the veteran's discharge papers. Flags may be obtained from VA regional offices and most U.S. post offices. For your family's convenience, the Funeral Director managing your service may request a flag on your behalf.
National Cemetery Burial
Any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who dies while on active duty or any Veteran who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable may be eligible for burial in a National Cemetery. You can work with your funeral director to plan the viewing and funeral elsewhere and plan for the burial at the national cemetery. The burial at a National Cemetery is called a “Committal Ceremony”. This type of honor for your loved one can be important for a family who is grieving.
With this type of burial service, you may bring flowers to place on the casket or urn when it’s carried from the committal shelter to the gravesite, and you can visit the gravesite at the end of the workday, but not immediately following the ceremony. You can also request a headstone, marker, or medallion.
Military funeral honors at a national cemetery include:
The playing of “Taps”
A rifle detail
A color guard
Uniformed service members who present the burial flag
NATIONAL VETERAN CEMETERIES: Click Here
Private Cemetery Burial
Veterans buried in a private cemetery may be eligible to receive a partial reimbursement for their burial costs.
If you choose not to be buried in a VA national cemetery, limited financial burial benefits may be available. For non service-related deaths, a burial expense allowance (up to $300) and a plot allowance (up to $300) may be awarded. If a death is service-related, benefits up to $2,000 may be paid or burial expenses
Continue to Honor Their Life
While saying goodbye to a loved one can be a difficult and emotional experience, it helps to honor their life and remember how they impacted their family, friends, and country. When a Veteran passes on, we know that their legacy lives on in the lives of those who saw their selfless acts and learned that there are some things that are more important than your own life.
We want to walk with you through the process of planning for death. If you are a Veteran, we can help you put a plan into place for your funeral and your family’s future. If you are a survivor and need help planning for a Veteran’s arrangements, our professionals on staff would appreciate the chance to serve you as you walk this grief journey.
VETERANS LEGACY MEMORIAL (VLM)
VLM is a digital platform dedicated to the memory of the nearly 4.5 million Veterans. VLM interactive features allow you to post Tributes (comments), upload images, share your Veteran's military service timeline and achievements, biographical information, historical documents and more. You can search and post for a Veteran HERE.
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