Advocating for Veterans is Our Passion
We help you secure the benefits you've earned.
Our VFS locations are available by phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to help you in your time of need with any questions you or your family might have. We are a phone call away and ready to ease the burden of losing a cherished friend or family member.
About VA Benefits and Funerals
The VA does not pay for or reimburse for funerals or celebrations of life. However, a Veteran’s Funeral Specialist helps you create a meaningful funeral or memorial that respects your beliefs and budget. We arrange for a color guard, burial flag, and other memorial items to honor veterans in every branch of the armed forces.
Burial in a VA National Cemetery
Eligible veterans may choose burial (or interment of cremated remains) in a VA national cemetery. The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) maintains 155 national cemeteries in 42 states and Puerto Rico.
While you cannot reserve or preselect space at a VA national cemetery, you should indicate if you prefer burial or interment in one of these facilities. A Veteran’s Funeral Specialist can help you complete the necessary forms if you are interested in burial in a VA cemetery.
VA National Cemetery Burial Benefits:
- Gravesite opening and closing or placement in a columbarium niche
- Government-furnished grave liner (exterior container for a casket)
- Perpetual care of gravesite or columbarium
- Headstone or grave marker with an inscription
- Burial flag
- Presidential Memorial Certificate
Burial in a Private Cemetery
A funeral home with a Veteran’s Funeral Specialist (VFS) helps you make all the arrangements at a private cemetery. We also help you explore other options, such as the many state, territory, and tribal veteran cemeteries operated and maintained by their respective agencies.
Non-VA Cemetery Burial Benefits:
- Government headstone, marker, or medallion
- Burial flag
- Presidential Memorial Certificate
- Burial allowances to reimburse burial, cremation, and funeral costs
Cremation
Although the VA calls them “burial benefits,” veterans may use these privileges and allowances for cremation inurnment . Veteran’s Funeral Specialist firms offer various options to meet your needs, including simple or traditional cremation.
Simple cremation involves only the crematory process. Traditional cremation may include an optional viewing and memorial or funeral service.
Cremation offers many permanent memorialization choices, including:
- Burial or inurnment in VA national cemeteries or columbariums
- Burial or inurnment in state, local, or tribal veteran's cemeteries
- Interment in a family or community columbarium
- Burial or inurnment in a memorial garden
- Planting a tree with ashes and seeds
- Creating memorial diamond jewelry
- Scattering of ashes at sea or on land (in compliance with health ordinances)
- Displaying or storing your loved one in your home
Get Your Free Preplanning Guide
Funeral and cremation providers with the VFS designation understand the tremendous sacrifice our veterans and their families have made. We will always be indebted to our military and work diligently to ensure they are never forgotten. Preplanning removes the stress and additional expense while preserving an individual’s end-of-life wishes.
Complete the form below for more information and receive your FREE preplanning guide.
Planning ahead is second nature to veterans and their families. Being prepared brings peace of mind, whether it’s a tactical training exercise or making end-of-life plans. Our preplanning guide lets you consider your burial, cremation, and final resting place choices. And when you’re ready, our VFS specialists can guide you through the application process for VA funeral benefits.
Our certified VFS specialists promise to help veterans and their families:
- Secure military discharge papers to apply for VA burial benefits. Before applying for burial benefits, you or the qualifying veteran must have the necessary discharge papers (VA Form DD-214). If you cannot locate these papers, a VFS professional will help you file SF-180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records) so that you may be able to receive all available benefits entitled to you and your family.
- Request a United States Burial Flag for every veteran in most circumstances. A Veteran’s Funeral Specialist helps you file VA Form 27-2008 (Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes) to obtain the flag.
- Obtain a government headstone, marker, or medallion. Most veterans are eligible for this benefit. We assist you in filing VA Form 40-1330 (Application for Standard Government Headstone or Medallion) to obtain your government marker or VA Form 40-1330M (Claim for Government Medallion) to get your medallion.
- Apply for a Presidential Memorial Certificate on behalf of the family. A PMC is an engraved paper certificate signed by the current President of the United States to honor the memory of honorably discharged Veterans. A VFS funeral director files VA Form 40-0247 (Presidential Memorial Certificate Request Form) to obtain the certificate on your behalf. You may request multiple certificates so each member of your family can share in the memory of their loved one’s faithful service.
- Seek Veterans’ benefits at the Federal, State, or County level. A certified VFS professional can help you receive additional benefits depending on eligibility requirements. We file VA Form 21-530 (Application for Burial Benefits) to help you receive the benefits you may qualify for.
- Request military service medals and ribbons to further honor the memory of a fallen veteran. We gladly write a letter of request to each branch of service on your behalf.