Blue Ridge Funeral & Cremation Service 7626 Highway 213 Mars Hill, NC 28754 Phone: (828) 680-9963 Fax: (828) 680-9965 Email:brfs@blueridgefuneralservice.org
Military Funeral Services
Military Funeral Services
Here at Blue Ridge Funeral & Cremation Service, we believe the story of every veteran's life should be shared and we take great pride in providing veterans that have passed away with the honor they deserve. We are deeply committed to providing families with exceptional veterans services and can assist you in securing military burial benefits. We offer funeral services that pay tribute to their bravery and sacrifice. Providing quality military funeral honors is our small gesture towards thanking veterans for serving our country and fighting for our freedom.
It's very important that family members notify one of our funeral directors that their loved one was a member of the military. Once we are aware we can then contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the appropriate armed forces branch (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard) to see if your loved one is eligible to receive military death benefits. Below we have outlined some circumstances where your loved one would be eligible to receive military death benefits:
Your loved one was a military member on active duty or was in the Selected Reserve.
Your loved one was a former military member who served on active duty and left the military under honorable conditions.
Your loved one completed at least one term of enlistment or a period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and left under honorable conditions.
Your loved one was a former military member from the Selected Reserve that was discharged due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Providing our funeral directors with your loved one’s DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, would be most helpful and would help expedite the application process. There is no concern if you do not have this form, our funeral directors can request it on your behalf. If you are interested in obtaining the form, you can request it online from the National Archives.
Gaining eligibility for military death benefits can be somewhat complex, but that is what our funeral directors and staff are there for. We will take care of the entire process, and will explain what benefits your loved one is entitled to.
Create a Memorable
Veteran Funeral Ceremony
Do you need assistance in honoring your veteran? If so, please do not hesitate to reach out to us so we can help ensure that your loved one receives the military death benefits and funeral honors that he/she has earned.
On January 1, 2000, Section 578 of Public Law 106-65 of the National Defense Authorization Act was enacted and it then became law that the United States Armed Forces must provide all eligible veterans with military funeral honors if requested by his or her family. There will be an honor guard detail of at least two members of the Armed Forces present for all military funerals. One member will be a representative of the branch of armed forces that the deceased veteran was a part of. At a minimum the honor guard detail will perform a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps.
Playing of Taps
Military Death Benefits
We have listed a few of the common features that military death benefits provide and cover. The veteran may or may not be eligible for these benefits depending on his or her status and situation.
A gravesite at any of the 136 Veteran Affairs’ National Cemeteries
As an alternative to the National cemeteries operated by the Veteran Affairs, many states have established state veteran cemeteries. Eligibility is quite similar to the ones outlined by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but may include residency requirements.
Most veterans are eligible to receive a headstone, marker, or medallion at no cost. The flat markers are available in granite, marble, and bronze. The headstones are available in granite and marble.
Presidential Memorial Certificate
As already mentioned an American flag is provided, at no cost, to drape over the casket or accompany the urn of the deceased veteran.
Burial Allowances refer to the flat monetary sum that is paid to cover the Veteran’s funeral costs.
The casket may transported via a horse-drawn limbers and caissons
Fighter jets may perform an aerial flyover
A gun salute. The number of shots fired depends on the veterans rank.
For funerals of commanding officers, a riderless horse that represents a fallen leader will usually follow the horse-drawn hearse
Sources:
Military.com. (2018). Military funeral honors. Retrieved from: https://www.military.com/benefits/burial-and-memorial/military-funeral-honors.html
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2018). Burial Benefits. Retrieved from: https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/index.asp
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2018). Military funeral honors. Retrieved from: https://www.cem.va.gov/military_funeral_honors.asp
Wikipedia. (2018). Military funerals in the United States. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_funerals_in_the_United_States