Veteran Funeral Services
Veteran Funeral Services
We believe the story of every veteran's life deserves to be shared. We are deeply committed to providing families with exceptional veterans services and can assist you in securing military burial benefits. When it comes time for you to make arrangements for the veteran in your life, know that our staff is both qualified and committed to providing them with the military honors they deserve.
Military Funeral Honors
By Public Law 106-65, at the family's request, every eligible veteran is entitled to a military funeral honors ceremony. This ceremony is performed by at least two uniformed military persons, typically at the cemetery, church, or at the funeral home, which includes folding and presenting the United States burial flag and the playing of Taps. “Honoring Those Who Served” is the title of the Department Of Defense program for providing dignified military funeral honors to veterans who have defended our Nation. Military funeral honors are a long-standing tradition within the Armed Forces, and this DOD program is in response to the law enacted in 2000 governing funeral honors for eligible veterans.
United States Flag
Every deceased veteran who served honorably in the United States Armed Forces is provided a flag, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn to honor the memory of the veteran’s military service. Following the funeral service, if the family has requested Military Funeral Honors, uniformed members of the military will fold the flag and present it to the deceased’s nest-of-kin.
Burial Benefits
In certain circumstances, veterans who are receiving a VA Pension, who pass away while receiving treatment in a VA Hospital, or who pass as a result of a service-related disability may be eligible for partial reimbursement of burial and funeral costs. We will prepare the application on behalf of the family and forward it to VA for review.
Grave Markers & Installation
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides, at no expense to the family, a Government marker for all eligible veterans in any private cemetery that allows it. (There are no cemeteries in the area that do not accept Veterans Markers) With a veterans discharge, or DD-214, which is usually provided by the family, we will prepare the paperwork for the marker, review the information with the family to make sure it is correct, obtain permission from the cemetery, and forward all the necessary documentation to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Footmarkers can take anywhere from 12 to 18 weeks from the time of submitting the paperwork before they are delivered to the cemetery.
The Connecticut Veterans Association pays for the transportation and installation of a government footmarker for eligible CT Veterans who are buried in a Cemetery in Connecticut. Again, we will prepare all the necessary paperwork, obtain authorization from cemetery, and forward to the appropriate documentation to the CT VA.
Funeral Honors Eligibility is reserved for:
- Military members on active duty or in the selected reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the reserves and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
Verifying Eligibility
The preferred method for verifying eligibility is the DD 214. If the DD Form 214 isn't available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD 214 can be obtained by requesting it online from the National Archives.
Links to related veterans benefits web sites are listed below: