Funerals for Veterans: Everything You Need to Know 

Whether you’re a veteran planning ahead or a loved one making funeral arrangements, we’ve collected everything you need to know about planning a funeral for a veteran. While it may seem intimidating, it’s not that different from planning any other funeral, memorial service or celebration of life.  

With the right resources and support, you can plan a service that honors your veteran’s life in a meaningful way. 

First, we will review the key components involved in planning any funeral or memorial service. We will identify any key differences you should keep in mind when working with a veteran—like VA burial benefits and information about veterans cemeteries. 

Second, we will collect all the key differences you should keep in mind into an easy-to-follow list. 

Finally, we will share information about the ways veterans’ death benefits are disbursed and what you can expect following the service. 

Let’s get started. 

What is the Process When a Veteran Dies?  

Planning a Funeral for a Veteran

Funeral planning is intimidating to most people. But you’re not alone in this process—your funeral professional will be there to assist you through virtually every step.  

It may take a few days to a week to plan the funeral, depending on you and your loved one’s desires. Planning may be difficult, but you’ll have the support of your funeral professional to lighten your burden. And some parts of planning a meaningful memorial are very rewarding—even joyful. 

Lean on your funeral director’s expertise and guidance. They’re here to help you honor your loved one in a special way. 

Ways to Honor Military Service: Where to Start

      1. Choose a funeral home:

      This is an important first step and will connect you with a funeral professional who will help you and your family make all the decisions to come. Even if you’re planning a service at a church or other location, the funeral home and director will support you. 

      If you don’t know where to look for a funeral home, Batesville’s Find a Funeral Home tool is a great place to start. 

      2. Make contact:

      If there’s a legal representative or attorney for the decedent, they should be contacted as soon as possible to discuss any estate plans, funeral instructions or pre-planned funeral arrangements—like a pre-application for burial in a VA cemetery. 

      3. Who else should be involved:

      You’ll need to choose and contact other key decision makers that should be involved in the planning process. Spouses, children, siblings, parents, and close friends of the decedent should be considered.

      4. Gather key biographical details:

      Collect key details and information about the individual to apply for veterans' burial benefits, private life insurance and to prepare the obituary. Birth date, date of death, surviving relatives, and next of kin are important details—as well as their social security number. 

      Since you’re planning for a veteran, pay special attention to their military service history. It will be helpful to locate your veteran’s discharge papers (DD214 or other separation documents). 

      You will provide all this information to your funeral professional, who will handle the writing and publishing of the obituary. Of course, you can provide a pre-written obituary from the decedent or write one yourself—just work with your funeral home to ensure you’ve captured all the necessary details. 

      Choosing a Veteran’s Resting Place

      5. Finalize the budget:

      Once you’ve gathered all the information you need, you can establish a budget. Your funeral professional will be able to assess the value of any life insurance policy(ies) to help you make plans. 

      Since you’re planning for a veteran, you may be eligible for VA burial allowance for burial and funeral costs, interment allowance for the cost of the plot or interment, and/or transportation reimbursement for the cost of transporting the remains to the final resting place. 

      Remember that you will not receive these allowances until after the services, which may impact whether you want to include them in your budget. 

      Note: If you’re filing a burial allowance, you must file your claim within 2 years of the veteran’s burial. If you’re a surviving spouse, you don’t need to do anything—if you’re listed as the veteran’s spouse on the veteran’s profile, the VA will automatically pay a set amount to eligible surviving spouses. 

      6. Choose a disposition plan:

      Will you bury or cremate the remains? These choices can be easier to make if you’ve had conversations with the veteran about their wishes before they passed. 

      The VA’s burial benefits apply to both burial and cremation, so don’t let worries about benefits impact your choice. 

      7. Veteran burial personalization and remembrance:

      Whether you choose a traditional burial or cremation, your funeral professional will walk you through the options available to remember your loved one. 

      Caskets: There are a variety of options available for caskets that your funeral professional can share with you and your family. Personalizing a casket can help you honor your loved one and their military service. 

      Many Batesville products feature options for customized corners, embroidered fabrics and a variety of colors and materials to honor every branch of service.  

      Each Batesville burial product is expertly crafted from top-quality materials. Our N01 Military Collection features velvet interiors and contrasting trim. Each casket includes an embroidered appliqué or a Family Choices® personalization option to honor your loved one and share their unique story. 

      Urns: There’s as much variety in cremation urns and containers as there is in caskets. And there’s even more ways to individualize them with special engravings and other personalization to recognize their status as an honored veteran.  

      Urns don’t have to be the formal, brass vessels you may imagine when you think of cremation—unless you want them to be. No matter how you choose to remember your veteran, Batesville products can help to honor their life, legacy and service to our country with a variety of meaningful personalization options. 

      We offer a large collection of vases, urns, hardwood chests, and other vessels that work well for niche or home placement. Most cremation products feature engraving options to make your tribute even more personal. 

      If you plan on ceremonial scattering, you can trust Batesville for simple, high-quality products made to biodegrade without leaving a trace. 

      Most veterans are also eligible for cremation urns as a part of their VA benefits (yes, the VA will help pay for cremation). 

      8. Select the Veterans final resting place:

      Normally, you’ll work with your funeral professional to choose a resting place while selecting personalization options. Basically, steps 6, 7, 8, and 9 will happen at the same time. 

      Most people will choose interment in a public cemetery, ceremonial scattering for cremated remains, niche placement, or in-home placement for cremated remains.  

      Since your planning involves a veteran, you have an additional choice: a veterans cemetery or national cemetery. 

      If a veterans cemetery is the right choice for you, let your funeral professional know right away so they can gather and submit the paperwork required to prove eligibility and coordinate with the National Cemetery Scheduling Office. 

      9. The vault:

      The vault is the protective barrier that surrounds the casket or urn after burial. They’re typically made of concrete, metal or plastic. They’re made to last for several lifetimes, shielding the casket or urn inside from the elements. 

      Knowing your loved one’s remains are held in a vault can add important peace of mind for many. Of course, your funeral professional will present your options so you can make the best choice for your loved one. 

      10. Choosing a monument:

      If you plan to inter your loved one in a traditional cemetery, choosing a monument or headstone is an important part of the process. Your funeral director will have references for trusted local monument makers and will help make recommendations. 

      Veterans may also be eligible for a headstone/burial stone, marker, plaque, or niche marker if they are interred in a private cemetery. Your funeral professional can lead you through the process of applying for one of these markers. 

      If you choose a veteran cemetery for their final resting place, a marker will be provided for them from a set number of options. 

      11. Other details:

      At this stage, you’ll choose other remembrance options, like keepsakes and memorial jewelry, stationery and memorial books, and acknowledgment cards for after the service. 

      At Batesville, you’ll find meaningful keepsakes like flag cases and bases, sterling silver medallion beads and engravable dog tags to remember your loved one. Keep your loved one close with these meaningful, personal memorials. 

      You can also choose flowers for the casket or service at this point and any other customizations your funeral home may provide. Your funeral home may partner with a local florist to provide the best experience. 

      Planning the Veteran’s Service

      12. Make the plan:

      Now that the details are settled, it’s time to make the plan for the service—if you choose to have one—and publish the final version of the obituary.  

      If you have friends, family members or religious leaders you would like to participate in the ceremony, now is the time to ask them. Consider any special verses, music or poems you would like to share. These personal choices are the details that make remembrance services truly meaningful. 

      13. Military Honors

      All military veterans and retirees are entitled to military funeral honors. Your funeral professional will handle arrangements for military honors, including the playing of Taps and flag ceremony. Military services may provide additional honors, such as a 21-gun salute, if requested.  

      Often, the military will partner with local veteran organizations like the American Legion or VFW to perform the honors or augment the honors detail. 

      14. Veteran Video Tribute:

      If you’d like a video tribute or slideshow during the service, you should begin gathering photos and videos to share.  

      Generally, your funeral professional will help you prepare the final version or can direct you to local services that can help. 

      What You Should Expect from a Military Funeral: The Service

      15. The day of:

      You’ve planned all the major details in advance, and you have your funeral professional’s support—today should be a meaningful opportunity to remember your loved one and mourn the loss of their life. 

      It can be helpful to choose a trusted relative or friend to partner with the funeral director to coordinate logistical elements like food delivery on the day of the service. 

      After the Veteran Service

      16. When the veteran service is finished:

      After the service is completed, your funeral professional will reach out to you confirm a payment plan (if one is required) and keep you informed about the death certificate and other legal or technical issues that may require follow-up. 

      If you desire additional keepsakes, jewelry or other remembrance items in the future, you can always reach out to your funeral home. 

      17. VA Burial Benefits:

      It may take some time for the veteran’s benefits to clear. If you requested a headstone, marker or medallion, it should be delivered within 60 days. 

      Once you’ve received the veteran’s death certificate, you can submit your application for VA death benefits. 

      All the Key Differences When Planning a Veteran’s Funeral

      That’s the complete breakdown of everything you need to know about funerals for veterans. To recap, here’s the key differences to remember when planning the funeral: 

      Keep military service in mind when preparing the obituary. 

      Find and make copies of the veteran’s DD214 (discharge papers). 

      Most veterans qualify for certain VA burial benefits, like: 

      • Burial in a VA national cemetery 
      • Headstones, markers, medallions, plaques, or urns 
      • Burial allowance 

      Veterans are entitled to military honors at their service or funeral. These may include: 

      • The playing of Taps 
      • Burial flag and flag ceremony/presentation
      • Color guard 
      • 21-gun salute 
      • Presidential Memorial Certificate 

      A full breakdown of the VA’s burial allowances and eligibility can be found online

      You Are Not Alone

      There’s a lot of details to keep track of—and it can feel even more overwhelming during a period of loss.  

      It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in this process. Never hesitate to reach out to a funeral professional, counselor or a trusted friend or family member for support.  

      As the loved one of a veteran, you’re also entitled to free support through the Veteran’s Crisis Line and may qualify for bereavement counseling through a Vet Center

      Batesville is Here to Help

      Remember the first step—find a funeral home? Batesville is here to help. Our veteran-friendly funeral partners use our products to help remember your loved one.