Preparing For A Veteran’s Funeral

Spread the love

Veteran’s offered up their lives as part of their service to their country. Even if a veteran did not pass away as a result of his service to his country, he took the risk for everyone’s beneft. In exchange for that, they deserve a level of respect at their funeral that is higher than the average person receives. Sometimes it might take a little extra planning to arrange a veteran’s funeral that gives the veteran the appreciate he deserves but it’s the least we can do as family members. 

Scheduling The Veteran’s Funeral 

Most of the time, when you arrange a funeral at the funeral home, times are available at the grave site to be scheduled within a few days of the death. That is not the case with a veteran’s funeral and there are a few reasons for that. These generally depend on having the proper respect paid to the veteran. Some veteran cemeteries have waits of over a month for a graveside burial ceremony. 

Scheduling Military Attendance 

If the veteran was serving the country when he passed away, his supervising officer can guide the family in this area. The military will arrange for military personnel to place the flag on the casket and deliver it to the spouse or other designated loved one. If the veteran is no longer active in military services, this display of respect can be arranged through a local group such as the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the American Legion. 

Should Respect Be Live Or Recorded? 

The budget for the department of Veteran’s Affairs has been cut significantly in the past few decades for ceremonial presentations. Every veteran is entitled to a live bugler at his funeral. This is not always easily arranged. It may require the veteran to be buried weeks or months after he passed away. 

There is a similar situation to the bugler with the live 21 gun salute for a veteran as part of any veterans funeral packages joliet il veterans expect. This should be offered live at a veteran’s funeral. Instead, many veteran cemeteries try to convince the family to accept a recorded version. Ask any veteran or active member of the military and they will explain how the live performance is a matter of respect. 

Who Can Help? 

If you are not getting the level of service and respect you feel is necessary for your loved one that is a veteran, there are several places you can contact for assistance. Start with the department and location he served at, especially if he served recently. If that is not an option, another is the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Your U.S. Senator’s have an office called a “Case Work Office” that can help in this area as well. Finally, as mentioned before an American Legion or VFW lodge can frequently help even if he was not a member of the lodge. You are not alone when arranging a funeral for a veteran, they deserve the highest level of respect.