09/27/2026
How to arrange for a Military Honors Ceremony for your deceased Veteran
"The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten.- President Calvin Coolidge, July 27, 1920
Every once in a while I post this to assist families with arranging for military honors for their deceased Veteran. This VERY long post is based on my 4 decades of arranging for and performing these honors and will walk you thru the various elements that are available for your service. Please copy and save this post for future reference. Also feel free to share this so others will know what to do.
1st, let me offer my sincere condolences on your loss. This is a difficult time for any family, and it is important that we make it as easy as possible to arrange for a Military Honors Ceremony (Military Funeral) for your Veteran.
IMPORTANT: Make the request as early as possible. DoD recommends giving the military at least 48 hours to arrange the Honors detail. If the service is sooner than that, call anyway—do not assume it is too late—but more notice gives the service and organizations listed below the best opportunity to support the ceremony.
By law (the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000), the Department of Defense must provide Military Funeral Honors, upon request, for every eligible deceased Veteran. They DO NOT need to be a retiree or combat Vet, their military service and discharge must meet the eligibility requirements below (see next paragraph for types of discharge eligible, or not, for honors). Please note that the law only provides for 2 members to fold and present the flag, and the playing of Taps. It DOES NOT require the branch to provide pallbearers or a 3-volley r***e salute, though some branches may provide that for military retirees depending on manning at that base. Some local Veteran Service Organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or American Legion MIGHT be able to help with the 3 volley salute, even for Veterans that are not retirees. Contact your local Veteran org to see if they are able.
NOTE: Military Funeral Honors are generally authorized for eligible Veterans whose qualifying service was Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions). Honors are not authorized for Dishonorable, Bad Conduct, or Other Than Honorable discharges, court-martial dismissal, or equivalent officer separation. Certain criminal convictions and other circumstances defined by federal law can also prohibit honors. Questionable or unusual cases should be referred to the Branch of Service for an eligibility determination.
If you are using a funeral home for the service, the funeral home should make the Military Funeral Honors request on the family's behalf as listed below. If they aren't, or if for any reason you are not using a funeral home, the following is all the information you'll need to set them up. Sometimes a funeral home will not be aware of some of the elements listed below, give them this information and they should be able to handle it for you.
NOTE: Military Funeral Honors provided by DoD and the VA burial flag are provided at no cost to the family. A funeral home may, of course, charge for its own professional services, making all the arrangements, facilities, transportation, handling of remains, etc. If you see a separate charge specifically for the military honors detail or the VA-provided burial flag, ask the funeral director to explain that charge before paying it. 99.999% of funeral homes will not attempt to charge for those services, but there are unscrupulous ones which is why I am pointing it out.
FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT: Locate the Veteran's DD Form 214 other official discharge documentation. You will normally need documentation of military service and character of discharge to establish eligibility for Military Funeral Honors and other benefits. If you cannot locate the DD Form 214, DO NOT delay making arrangements. The National Archives has an emergency records-request procedure for funerals, and the appropriate military service or VA can advise you on acceptable alternative documentation. A diploma-like certificate is NOT a substitute for the DD Form 214. If you do not have the DD Form 214 or other official discharge documentation, you can go to this site to get it:
https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/emergencies
Additionally, if you are a Veteran reading this, PLEASE make sure that your DD Form 214 is readily available for your loved ones. It's a good idea to keep this form with at least 2 relatives to ensure it is available if/when the time comes.
NOTE: Back in the 60's/70's, the VA recommended that Veterans keep a copy of this form on file at their local court house. If you have done this, REMOVE IT FROM THERE IMMEDIATELY! There have been many cases over the years of unscrupulous individuals getting those records to steal the identities of Veterans. It is now NOT recommended you do that.
Funeral arrangements:
The funeral home should be contacting the appropriate branch of service to provide military honors for the Veteran. If for any reason the funeral home is not going to request honors, or you are not using a funeral home for the funeral, go to this site to figure out which branch and the correct number to call for honors:
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/tools/military-funeral-honors-directory/
NOTE: Each branch has different contact information and procedures for making funeral arrangements.
If you would like your Veteran to be buried in a VA National Cemetery, you or your funeral director can contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 to determine eligibility and arrange the burial. For a State Veterans Cemetery, contact that cemetery directly, as eligibility requirements and procedures may vary by state. You can find both National and State Veterans Cemeteries here:
https://www.cem.va.gov/find-cemetery/
To obtain a free burial flag for the Veteran, go to this website to download the form to obtain a flag from your local post office. Yes, that's really where they are supposed to maintain a supply of flags for this purpose. Most funeral homes maintain a supply of these free flags, but if they don't, use this website:
https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/memorial-items/burial-flags/
Call the Post Office first to make sure they have a burial flag in stock.
Once you have arranged for the military honors with the appropriate branch and have the date/time/location for the service, you can add to the service by requesting the Patriot Guard Riders attend. IF AVAILABLE, they may provide a flag line and, where appropriate, an es**rt from the location of the service to the graveside. This is a free service provided nationwide by individuals who want to honor those who served our country. The funeral home may be able to make this request on the family's behalf, however if they don't you can. You can arrange for their attendance at this website:
https://patriotguard.org/request-the-pgr/
If available, the Ride Captain that will handle your service will contact you to make the final arrangements. It depends on PGR members being available on the date/time of the service.
HINT: It is often easier if the service is on a weekend. Many PGR members work during the week and may not be available then.
NOTE: The Patriot Guard will also often provide this service for Police & Fire personnel. Contact them at that website for more information.
Finally, many Honor Guard details will not have a live bugler available to play "Taps" at the service. They will use what's called a Ceremonial Bugle to play. It is a bugle that has an electronic device in it that plays a recording of Taps so it seems like it is being played live and is an authorized way to play Taps. Check with the Honor Guard that will provide the honors to see if they will have a bugler in attendance or will use the Ceremonial Bugle.
If they are using the Ceremonial Bugle, and you want Taps to be played live, you can contact "Bugles Across America" which is an organization that has buglers nationwide that volunteer to play live Taps for Veteran services. This is also a free service. Again, your funeral home should do this for you, but if not, contact them at this website. IF AVAILABLE, the individual bugler will contact you for the final details:
https://www.buglesacrossamerica.org/Request-A-Bugler
That should take care of the Military Funeral Honors and the additional ceremonial elements you may want for your loved one's service. Please feel free to message me with any issues or questions and I will do my best to help you navigate this process. I will call you back as soon as possible to help. I DO NOT charge anything to help you out, after 4 decades of performing honors for those who defended our nation, it is my great honor to help.
Again, let me offer my sincere condolences on your loss. I hope that this note helps you get your loved one the honors they absolutely deserve.
MSgt Chez, OUT!
