The honors your veteran earned. The benefits the family is owed.

If a veteran has just died — start here

National Cemetery Scheduling Office — 1-800-535-1117

Open 24/7. Free. They schedule the burial, request the headstone, and coordinate honors. Your funeral director can call on your behalf.

Free at any national cemetery

• Gravesite in any of 155+ VA national cemeteries (with available space)
• Opening and closing of the grave
• Vault or grave liner
• Headstone or marker (upright marble or flat granite/bronze)
• Burial flag (pre-paid by VA, given to next of kin)
• Presidential Memorial Certificate (signed certificate from the sitting president)
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Military funeral honors

Every eligible veteran is entitled to military funeral honors at no cost — including the playing of Taps and the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag.

• Two-person honor detail minimum (one from the veteran's branch)
• Live or recorded Taps (live availability varies by region)
• Folding and presentation of the burial flag to next of kin
• Three-volley salute when an honor guard with rifles is available

Your funeral director arranges this through DD Form 2065 or by calling the appropriate branch's funeral honors coordinator. More on Military OneSource.

Burial allowances

For veterans whose family is paying for a private burial (not at a national cemetery), the VA offers limited reimbursement:

• Service-connected death: up to ~$2,000 burial allowance + plot allowance + transportation
• Non-service-connected death (VA hospital): ~$916 burial allowance + plot allowance
• Non-service-connected death (other): ~$916 burial allowance + ~$916 plot allowance for low-income veterans

File VA Form 21P-530. You have 2 years from burial to claim non-service-connected; no time limit for service-connected.

Eligibility

• Veterans with discharge other than dishonorable — eligible for national cemetery burial
• Service members on active duty
• Reservists/Guard with 20+ qualifying years (or activated)
• Spouses, dependent children, and certain unmarried adult children — eligible to be buried with the veteran
• WWII Merchant Marines, certain civilian groups recognized for military service

State veteran cemeteries

Many states operate their own veteran cemeteries (often with similar benefits and easier proximity). Check your state's veterans department page for locations.

Cremation and inurnment

Cremated remains are eligible for inurnment at national cemeteries — same benefits as casket burial. Increasingly common as space pressures grow at older cemeteries.

Headstones, markers, and medallions

Upright marble headstone, flat granite, or flat bronze — your choice. The VA also provides a medallion (bronze, brass, or graphite) you can affix to a privately-purchased headstone if the veteran is buried in a private cemetery.

The medallion is free, even decades after burial. Order a medallion or headstone.

Gold Star Family designations

If your service member died in active service, the family is entitled to:

• Gold Star Lapel Button (DoD)
• Gold Star Family License Plates in many states
• Gold Star Family Memorial Monuments at major military installations
• Surviving Spouse benefits like DIC and Fry Scholarship — see survivor benefits

If the family is in financial hardship

Funeral costs are real. Resources for help:

• TAPS — Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. 1-800-959-TAPS. Walks families through every benefit.
• Branch Aid Societies — Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Corps Relief, etc.
• Warriors Fund — direct emergency assistance for families.
• VA Burial Allowance — partial reimbursement (above)

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