Veterans

 THE  DONAHUE FUNERAL HOME is honored

to assist with arrangements for a Burial in a National Cemetery:

We specialize in arranging Veteran benefits at no additional cost to the family to include a gravesite in any of the 131 national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate and Honor Guard.

Some Veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances.  Cremated remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains.

Burial benefits are available for spouses and dependents buried in a national cemetery include burial with the Veteran, perpetual care, and the spouse or dependents name and date of birth and death will be inscribed on the Veteran’s headstone, at no cost to the family. Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried, even if they predecease the Veteran.

Preparing in Advance:

Gravesites in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries cannot be reserved in advance.

Discharge Papers need to be provided to The Donahue Funeral Home to make arrangements.  Papers are welcomed during the prearrangement meeting whenever possible.  These papers are very important in establishing your eligibility.

Gravesites are assigned and cannot be selected in advance. Assignments are made without regard to rank, ethnic or religious background, branch of service or other factors. A husband and wife are interred in the same plot unless both were Veterans. In that case, they may be buried side by side in separate plots. Cremated remains are buried in the ground in specially designated sections of the cemetery or in above ground columbaria.

For Burial in a Private Cemetery:

Burial benefits available for Veterans buried in a private cemetery include a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family.  Some Veterans may also be eligible for Burial Allowances. These benefits are not  available to spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery.

Committal Service:

Upon our arrival to the cemetery, a cemetery representative will lead us to the appropriate committal shelter for the service. Committal services are generally 20 minutes in length which includes the time needed for rendering of military honors. Burial will take place following the committal service. The Donahue Funeral Home will see that the Floral arrangements accompany the casket or urn from the committal shelter are placed on the grave after burial.

Military Funeral Honors:

The Donahue Funeral Home will make all necessary arrangements with The Department of Defense (DOD) as the are responsible for providing Military Funeral Honors.

Headstones:

All veterans interred at a national cemetery are eligible for a headstone or marker. It normally takes less than 60 days following a burial for the headstone or marker to be completed and in place.  The Donahue Funeral Home will ensure that the headstone or marker is ordered,  personnel upon inscription approval by the next of kin and a burial flag will be received.Upright headstones are standard in most national cemeteries, however, some have both upright headstone and flat marker sections and in some cases above ground columbarium niches for cremated remains.

The same procedures are followed if the Veteran’s eligible spouse or dependent predeceases the Veteran. In most cases, one gravesite is provided for the burial of all eligible family members and a single headstone or marker is provided. When both spouses are Veterans, two gravesites and two headstones or markers may be provided.

Donating Burial Flags in National Cemeteries:

Most of the Department of Veterans Affairs national cemeteries display an Avenue of Flags on patriotic holidays and during special events. The Avenues consist of burial flags donated by the families of deceased Veterans and provide a unique visible tribute to all of our Nation’s Veterans.

A Certificate of Appreciation is presented to the donor for providing their loved ones’ burial flag to a national cemetery.

The Donahue Funeral Home is honored to make these and all other Veteran arrangements for you at no additional cost.