Issue 18.17
In the next few weeks we will celebrate Memorial Day – a day for remembering the people who died while serving in our country’s armed forces. Our nation’s heroes are our veterans and we should continuously give thanks for their service. Many people have questions concerning what types of benefits are available to a veteran at the time of their death. For the purpose of this article, I have compiled a condensed list of the basic burial benefits available to a veteran. To be clear, the following is not a comprehensive list. For full eligibility requirements and benefits, please visit www.va.gov.
Current members of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) are considered eligible for veteran’s burial benefits. Also eligible are any veterans who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, i.e., retired, medical discharge, honorable discharge, etc. Veteran’s spouses and their dependent children are also eligible for most burial benefits.
Available at no cost to the family, veteran’s burial benefits include a gravesite in any of our 135 national cemeteries, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a headstone/grave marker, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. A veteran is also entitled to an honor guard consisting of service members (retired or active duty) that fold and present the flag, play taps, and may perform a 21-gun salute. These benefits apply to traditional casket burials as well as cremation burials. A veteran who chooses to be buried in a private cemetery rather than a national cemetery is also entitled to these benefits; however, the veteran must purchase the gravesite and pay for the opening and closing fees at the cemetery out-of-pocket. The veteran or the veteran’s family is then reimbursed through a burial allowance to help offset the charges.
Although veteran’s burial benefits do cover burial/cemetery expenses, they do not cover funeral home expenses. Some people assume that the entire funeral bill will be paid in full; however, this is not the case. It is the family’s responsibility to pay for any and all funeral home-incurred expenses, such as professional service fees, caskets, death certificates, obituaries, flowers, etc.
If you have any additional questions concerning veteran’s burial benefits, please feel free to stop by our office. Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah is located just off Riverside Dr. at 1316 S. 400 E., Ste. A5, St. George, or call us at (435) 986-9100.