Burial Benefits From The National Cemetery Administration
-Tony Glassford, January 2010
Your military service carries with it benefits that extend beyond your days here on earth. It also provides you with burial-related benefits that not only honor your service to our country but also save your loved ones significant amounts of money!
Burial in a National Cemetery
Burial benefits available include a gravesite in any of the 130 national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances. For those who choose cremation, the deceased’s remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains. Burial benefits available for spouses and dependents in a national cemetery include burial with the veteran, perpetual care, and inscribing on the veteran’s headstone the name and date of birth and death of the spouse or dependents, at no cost to the family. Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried in the national cemeteries even if they predecease the veteran.
Burial in a Private Cemetery
Burial benefits are also available for veterans buried in a private cemetery and include a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family. Some veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances. Be aware that there are no service-related benefits available to spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery.
Requesting Honors
The Department of Defense (DOD) is responsible for providing Military Funeral Honors. The DOD program, "Honoring Those Who Served," calls for funeral directors to request military funeral honors on behalf of the veterans' families. Veterans' organizations may also assist in the provision of military funeral honors. In support of this program, national cemetery staff may assist to coordinate military funeral honors.
How to Get Started
No special forms are required when requesting burial in a Veterans Affairs national cemetery. The person making the burial arrangements should have their funeral home contact the national cemetery in which burial is desired at the time of need.
The same process should be followed if the veteran's eligible spouse or dependent predeceases the veteran. In most cases, one gravesite is provided for the burial of all eligible family members and a single headstone or marker is provided. When both spouses are veterans, two gravesites and two headstones or markers may be provided if requested.
To confirm your eligibility for burial benefits, please call a Veteran’s Benefits Counselor at: (800)-827-1000.
