If you are veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces and received an Honorable Discharge upon completion of your term of active duty service, upon clearance - you and your spouse are eligible for burial space in a VA National Cemetery.
A copy of your Honorable Discharge is required for us to present it to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office which is tasked with reviewing the discharge information, verifying the veteran or their spouse is eligible for burial, and scheduling the burial with an eligible National Cemetery.
The best way to be sure your documents are in order is to apply for Pre-need Burial Eligibility with the National Cemetery Administration. This can avoid unexpected delays in the verification process which could delay the funeral and burial.
Call us at 718-659-6260, we can assist you.
The VA may provide certain memorial benefits in addition to a cemetery plot. Things such as:
- A burial flag
- A grave liner for space in a national cemetery
- A headstone marker and inscription
- Placement of cremated remains in an above ground vault called a Columbarium or burial of cremated remains.
Other than the benefits the Department of Veterans Affairs provides, is the responsibility of the family to make and pay for all the selections and options they choose related to the services they desire.
The right to Veterans Memorial Benefits isn’t automatic or absolute. While rare, there are circumstances that can greatly delay the process or make you ineligible. The only way to know and avoid these problems before you need the memorial benefits is to go through the
Pre-Need Burial Eligibility process.
Some examples of things that can delay eligibility are:
Lack of discharge paperwork to present for eligibility. If your family doesn’t have your discharge, it starts a process called a ‘clearance’ where the National Personnel Record Center and the FBI attempt to locate your discharge for you within official archives and verify your status. If your records were destroyed in the
1973 fire at the NRPC, it could be a very long vetting process.
If your original discharge was not under Honorable Conditions and it was upgraded later by a ruling issued by the adjudication board, that board must also review your case again and approve you for memorial benefits. It is a lengthy process.
If you were convicted of a capital crime, such as kidnapping or murder, after being discharged these may make you ineligible. The National Cemetery System reserves the right to deny entry of remains into their cemeteries based on the conduct of the deceased.
We can guide you through the entire process whether Pre-Need or an immediate request for service, but we strongly suggest you pre-plan to ensure that your affairs are in order for your survivors. Allow them to grieve and give them the gift of celebrating your life without the added stress and uncertainty of delayed or incomplete funeral arrangements.
718-659-6260