Veterans Funeral Benefits

Veteran Services

We believe the story of every veteran's life deserves to be shared. We are deeply committed to providing families with exceptional veterans services and can assist you in securing military burial benefits. When it comes time for you to make arrangements for the veteran in your life, know that our staff is both qualified and committed to providing them with the military honors they deserve.

The Veteran

 

When arranging for Veteran's burial service, you can rely on us to complete all the necessary paperwork involved in obtaining the military death and burial benefits that are available. These can include:


  • Burial Flag
  • Headstone or Marker
  • Burial in a National or State Veterans Administration Cemetery
  • Presidential Memorial Certificate

       Call us to learn how we can work together to pay tribute to your Veteran.

Veterans Burial Benefits

Free burial for Veterans is available at all VA national cemeteries to any deceased Veteran of wartime or peacetime service (other than training) who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Members of the Reserve, the Army and Air National Guard who die as a result of performing an active duty for training may also be eligible. Free burial is also available to an eligible Veteran's spouse, minor children, and under certain conditions, to unmarried adult children. 

Discounts available to Veterans and their Spouses….Call for Information

These benefits are offered to qualifying veterans by the federal government. Beinhauer Family Funeral Homes can relieve the burden of filing for these benefits by completing and submitting the paperwork on behalf of your family. In conjunction with the federal benefits, many local county organizations offer even more benefits than we can obtain for you and your family.

Veterans & Family Memorial Care

In addition to federal benefits, there are discounts available through Veterans & Family Memorial Care. While you cannot reserve a grave space through the VA, you can take advantage of the VFMC free burial registration program. The program also offers a 10 percent off discount to Veterans and their spouses for funeral and cremation pre-arrangements. This can only be provided by a Veterans & Family Memorial Care Provider like Beinhauer Funeral Home.

Veterans Burial Society

Despite the benefits extended to veterans through federal, state and county benefits, there are still some costs associated with veteran’s burials. As an authorized Veteran’s Burial Society Provider, Beinhauer Family Funeral Homes is honored to offer special membership discounts on burial merchandise, as well as free processing of federal, state and county benefit requests. Please contact us today to learn more about these services. Click here to sign up for the Veteran’s Burial Society discount.

Veterans Cremation Society

In the past decade, the number of veterans who have chosen cremation has increased. Beinhauer Family Funeral Homes and Cremation Services are proud to partner with the Veteran Cremation Society in order to provide specialized cremation care and affordable services to those who have served our country. As an authorized Veterans Cremation Society benefits provider, we offer savings and planning services on cremation and remembrance merchandise. Additionally, we offer pre-payment options for veterans and their families. Click here to sign up for the Veteran’s Cremation Society discount.

Federal Benefits

Marker or Medallion

For those Veterans who are deemed eligible, the United States government will furnish an upright granite or marble monument or flat bronze, marble or granite marker for the grave of a deceased Veteran. For those Veterans who choose to purchase their own marker, a bronze medallion can be ordered and affixed to the marker they have purchased. Please ask your funeral director if you loved one qualifies for the county benefit which aides in payment of the cost of the installation of this marker or medallion.

Who is Eligible?

According to VA Form 40-1330: Any deceased Veteran discharged under honorable conditions and any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who dies on active duty. A deceased Veteran discharged under conditions other than honorable may also be eligible. A copy of the deceased Veteran’s discharge certificate (DD Form 214 or equivalent) or a copy of other official document(s) establishing qualifying military service must be attached. Do not send original documents; they will not be returned. Service after September 7, 1980, must be for a minimum of 24 months continuous active duty or be completed under special circumstances, e.g., death on active duty. Persons who have only limited active duty service for training while in the National Guard or Reserves are not eligible unless there are special circumstances, e.g., death while on active duty, or as a result of training. Reservists and National Guard members who, at time of death, were entitled to retired pay, or would have been entitled, but for being under the age of 60, are eligible; a copy of the Reserve Retirement Eligibility Benefits Letter must accompany the claim. Reservists called to active duty other than training and National Guard members who are Federalized and who serve for the period called are eligible. Service prior to World War I requires detailed documentation, e.g., muster rolls, extracts from State files, military or State organization where served, pension or land warrant, etc.

Current Emblems Available For These Markers (According to VA Form 40-1330)

LATIN CROSS (01) BUDDHIST (Wheel of Righteousness) (02) JUDAISM (Star of David) (03) PRESBYTERIAN CROSS (04) RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CROSS (05) LUTHERAN CROSS (06) EPISCOPAL CROSS (07) UNITARIAN CHURCH (Flaming Chalice) (08) UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (09) AARONIC ORDER CHURCH (10) MORMON (Angel Moroni) (11) NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA (12) SERBIAN ORTHODOX (13) GREEK CROSS (14) BAHAI (9 Pointed Star) (15) ATHEIST (16) MUSLIM (Crescent and Star) (17) HINDU (18) KONKO-KYO FAITH (19) COMMUNITY OF CHRIST (20) SUFISM REORIENTED (21) TENRIKYO CHURCH (22) SIECHO-NO-IE (23) THE CHURCH OF WORLD MESSIANITY (lzunome) (24) UNITED CHURCH OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCE (25) CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH (26) UNITED MORAVIAN CHURCH (27) ECKANKAR (28) CHRISTIAN CHURCH (29) CHRISTIAN & MISSIONARY ALLIANCE (30) UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (31) HUMANIST (AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION) (32) PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (USA) (33) IZUMO TAISHAKYO MISSION OF HAWAII (34) SOKA GAKKAI INTERNATIONAL – USA (35) SIKH (KHANDA) (36) WICCAN (37) LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD (38) NEW APOSTOLIC CHURCH (39) SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH (40) CELTIC CROSS (41) ARMENIAN CROSS (42) FAROHAR (43) MESSIANIC JEWISH (44) KOHEN HANDS (45) CATHOLIC CELTIC CROSS (46) THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST (Cross and Crown) (47) MUSLIM (Islamic 5 Pointed Star) (98)
Presidential Memorial Certificate This program began in March of 1962 with President John F. Kennedy and has been continued by each successive president. This certificate is made available to the next of kin of an honorably discharged veteran and multiple copies may be requested. Beinhauer’s is able to file the necessary paperwork so that your family may receive this engraved paper certificate signed by the current United States President.

United States Burial Flag


The VA will provide a burial flag for any other than dishonorably discharged
  • Veteran who served during wartime.
  • Veteran who died on active duty after May 27, 1941.
  • Veteran who served after January 31, 1955.
  • Peacetime Veteran who was discharged or released before June 27, 1950.
  • Certain persons who served in the organized military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines while in service of the U.S. Armed Forces and who died on or after April 25, 1951.
  • Certain former members of the Selected Reserves.
This flag can be draped across a casket or served as an accompaniment to an urn. It is kept by the next of kin as a keepsake after the services are complete. At Beinhauer, we ensure that each flag is finely pressed by a professional dry cleaner before placement with the casket or urn. For more information about burial flags, please visit:  www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/burial_flags.asp 

Burial in a National Cemetery

To determine eligibility for burial in on of the 131 National Cemeteries, it is necessary that each request be made via The National Cemetery Scheduling Office. Most times, the National Cemetery will not give a definite answer on eligibility until the time of death. Beinhauer’s can assist your family in making proper application to the National Cemetery of your choice. For a more detailed explanation of burial eligibility, please visit: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/eligible.asp

Burial Allowances

It is difficult to determine the exact amount of burial allowances for which you may be eligible. Beinhauer’s will work with your family to ensure you are getting all of the benefits you are entitled to due to your service to our country. For a more detailed outline, please visit: http://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/

Honoring Those Who Served


The department of defense is responsible for providing a military honor guard and service which includes a flag folding ceremony, presentation of the flag and the playing of Taps with at least two uniformed military persons present. At least one of these uniformed persons will be of the Veteran’s parent service of the armed forces. Beinhauer can arrange for this ceremony to be performed at graveside or other location. If the family desires, we can also arrange for a local (non-enlisted) group of Veterans to provide an enhanced honor guard service including gunfire and collection of fired shells. Typically, these groups ask for a donation for their services.

Woodruff Memorial Park

At our affiliate cemetery, Woodruff Memorial Park, we are proud to offer a free grave space to Veterans.
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