Veteran Services
We’re proud to do our part in honoring our country’s veterans, and giving back to those whose sacrifice and patriotism define our great nation. Our duty is to provide you and your family with professional and dignified assistance during your time of need, and to support you in honoring your loved one for their dedication and selfless service.
We would be honored to help you make arrangements for any combination of traditional military tributes.
Traditional Elements & Honors
Standard honor military funerals can include:
- A military chaplain for family members
- The US flag draped over the casket, and given to the next of kin following the service
- A ceremonial guard serving as pallbearers
- Casket transportation via horse-drawn limbers and caissons for service members with a non-commissioned grade of E=9 and above, or a hearse in all other cases
- A flyover by fighter jets in missing man formation
- A three-volley salute fired by a rifle party consisting of an odd number of 3-7 service members
- The playing of Taps by a lone bugler or an audio recording
- A Final Salute at the gravesite
Full honor military funerals include all standard honors in addition to the following:
A riderless horse, symbolic of a fallen leader, follows the limbers and caissons for commanding officers of O-6 (Colonel/Captain) and above
Depending on their rank, general officers and flag officers receive an 11- to 17-gun salute
A military band and an escort platoon participate
Other Veteran Benefits
A Presidential Memorial Certificate
This is a certificate expressing the nation’s recognition of the veteran’s service. The veteran’s name is inscribed and the certificate bears the signature of the president. Certificates are issued in the name of honorably discharged, deceased veterans. Contact us for assistance in applying for a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and we would be happy to guide you through the process.
Headstones or Markers
The VA provides headstones and markers for the graves of veterans anywhere in the world and for eligible dependents of veterans buried in national, state veteran 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.
Burial in a VA National Cemetery
This includes the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a grave box, and perpetual care.
Reimbursement of Burial Expenses
For information on eligibility and the different levels of potential reimbursement, please review their Guide to VA Burial Allowances.
Additional Benefits
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.
Veterans’ Funeral and Burial Benefits
Helpful information from Funeral Consumers Alliance.
An explanation of the various types of honors available for military funerals.