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Chaplain Lieutenant
Chuck Sayne conducting Funeral Services for the deceased veteran
Chaplain Major Mike
Inman conducting prayer for the deceased veteran
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Who is Eligible for Military Funeral Honors?
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/eligible.asp
The
rendering of Military Funeral Honors is a way to show the deep gratitude
to those who, in the time of war and peace, have faithfully defended our
country.
Military
Funeral Honors may be rendered to the following veterans:
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Prior Active Duty Veterans
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/eligible.asp
Eligibility
For Interment
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
1.
Any person who served on active duty in the Armed forces of the United
States (Army, Marine corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard) who was
discharged
or released
under Honorable Conditions.
2. Any
Member of the Armed Forces of the United States who died while on active
duty.
3.
Any person who entered active duty as an enlisted person after September
7, 1980, or as an officer after October 16, 1981, must serve a minimum
or 24 consecutive
months
or was released due to a service connected disability.
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Reserve and National Guard
Members
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/bbene/eligible.asp
Eligibility For Interment
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
Reserve and National Guard
members who were entitled to retired pay for service at the time of
death or would have been entitled upon reaching requisite age.
Reserve and National Guard
members are also eligible for burial under the three (3) categories
listed below and do not have to pay the plot allowance cost
1. Dies while on active duty for
training or inactive duty training.
2. If called to active duty,
completes the full period for which called.
3. Discharged due to service
connected disability or hardship discharge while on active duty.
Military
Funeral Honors may not be rendered to any individual separated
from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions, convicted
of a Federal or State capital crime
sentenced to death or life
imprisonment. The preferred method to determine a veterans eligible
is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from activity
duty.
If the DD Form 214 is not available, any discharge document
showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD form
214 may be obtained by filling out a Standard
Form 180
from the National Personal Records and sending it to : Funeral Director
will help with this request. The next of kin may coordinate with the
Tennessee Military
Department
War Records Division (615) 313-2664), for assistance in securing
discharge papers. If the veteran resided in another state at the time of
discharge, the next of
kind will
need to contact that state's war records division. The Funeral Director
will help this request.
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Veteran, Spouse and Eligible
Children Cost
http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/factsheets/burials/Burial.pdf
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
Casket
1. Veterans: There is no cost if
eligibility requirements are met.
2. Spouse/ Dependents; There is a
fee for interment of
a Veterans' spouse or eligible dependent children, that must be paid
the day of the burial.
Cremations
The same guide lines apply.
For eligible depends the cost of the Niche. (currently available at the Veterans Cemetery, John Sevier
Highway, Knoxville, Tennessee)
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How Do I Request Military Funeral Honors?
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/bbene/need.asp
Families of eligible veterans request
Military Funeral Honors through their funeral director and
request that the Military Funeral Honors be performed
by the
Volunteer State Veterans Honor Guard .
The funeral director will call our Honor Guard Coordinator with date and
time of the veterans interment along
with instructions.
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What Family Documentation Is
Required for Military Funeral Honors?
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/need.asp
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
1. Full
name of Veteran
2. Date of
birth
3. Service
and/or social security number
4. Service
dates: entry and discharge from active duty. (This information can
be found in the Veterans discharge papers or DD Form 214)
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If I Can't Locate the proper
Documents, How Do I Request Them?
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/need.asp
The next of kin may
coordinate with the Tennessee Military Department War Records Division,
(615-313-2664), for assistance in securing discharge papers.
If the veteran resided
in a state other than Tennessee at the time of discharged, the next of
kin will need to contact that state's War Records Division.
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How Do I Request a Burial
Flag?
http://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/burial_flags.asp
Burial flags are provide
by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at no cost. Only one funeral
flag may be provided per veteran. Flags may be obtained
from any VA regional
office and most US Post Offices by completing VA Form 2008, Application
for United States Flag for Funeral Purposes, and submitting it
with a copy of the
veteran's discharge papers at any of those location. The Funeral
director will help with this request.
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Headstones
http://www.cem.va.gov/hmm/
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
All veterans
are entitled to a
white, upright marble headstone at government expense when buried in a
State Veterans' Cemetery. Headstones are requested at the
time of interment. A
temporary grave marker is used to identify gravesite until the
permanent headstone is delivered in three to four months.
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Only in
State/National Veterans Cemeteries
Headstones Include
Date of Birth to Date
of Death
Branch of Service
Rank
Religious Emblem
ERA
Medals (achievement
medals and higher)
Inscription up to 30
Characters
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Eligible
Dependents
In the case where a
Veteran and eligible dependent are buried in the same plot, the
dependent name, date of birth,
date of death and
inscription of up to 30 characters will be included on the reverse side
of the veterans headstone.
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All other
Cemeteries
If the veteran is not
being interned in a State Veterans' Cemetery, the family will have to
make arrangements with the
Funeral Home to
provide a marker. See Grave Markers (Footstone) and Medallions below.
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Grave Markers
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hmm/types.asp
Flat Types
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Flat Bronze
The flat bronze
grave marker is 24 inches long, 12 inches wide, with 3/4 inch rise.
Weight is approximately 18 pounds. Anchor bolts, nuts and washers
for fastening to a
base are furnished with the marker. The government does not furnish a
base.
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Flat
Granite or Flat Marble
The flat granite and
flat marble grave marker is 24 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 4 inches
thick. Weight is approximately 130 pounds. Variations may
occur in stone color;
the marble may contain light to moderate veining. (Shown is the Flat
Granite)
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Bronze Niche
This niche marker is 8 1/2 inches
long, 5 1/2 inches wide, with 7/16 inch rise. Weight is approximately 3
pounds; mounting bolts and washers
are furnished with the marker.
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Medallions
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hmm/types.asp
The Department of
Veterans Affairs provides a medallion, by request, to be affixed to an
existing, privately purchased headstone or marker to
signify the
deceased's status as a
Veteran. This device is furnished in lieu of a traditional Government
headstone or grave marker for those Veterans
whose death occurred
on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose
grave in a private cemetery
is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.
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Memorial Markers
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hmm/index.asp
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
1. Markers are
available to memorialize Veterans whose remains have not been recovered
or identified, were buried at sea, donated to science
or cremated and scattered.2. Markers inscription
will begin with "In memory of".3. There is no fee when
placed in a State Veterans cemetery.
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Outside Containers
(Reference:
Memorializing Those Who Served, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs
Pamphlet # 323045, December, 2011)
The State of Tennessee
does not
require
an outside container for burial. This is a personal preference
of the family
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How to Clean Headstones
http://ncptt.nps.gov/wp-content/uploads/Best-Practices-Final.pdf
Best Practice Recommendations for Cleaning
Government Issued Headstones1
~
What Military Funeral Honors Are Rendered By The
Volunteer State Veterans Honor Guard?
Depending upon the availability of personnel, the following Military
Funeral Honors will be rendered by the Volunteer State Veterans Honor
Guard for the
deceased
veteran. Military
Funeral Honors:
The core elements of the Military
Funeral Honors ceremony, which will be conducted are:
Flag
Folding Ceremony
Flag
Presentation to next of kin
Sounding of Taps
In addition to the above core elements, the Volunteer State Veterans
Honor Guard will also provide the
following
upon request
Ceremonial Rifle Volley,
Military Pall Bearers and Military Chaplin
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How Much Does a Military Funeral Honors Ceremony Cost?
http://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/
Military Funeral Honors are provided by
the Department of Defense at no cost to the family.
There is a
fee for the interment of a veteran's spouse, or
eligible
dependant children, that must be paid the day of the funeral. The
Volunteer State Veterans Honor Guard would be honored to receive a
contribution.
The
State of Tennessee does not require an outside container for burial.
This is a personal preference of the family. All veterans are entitled
to a white, upright
marble
headstone at government expensewhen buried in a State Veterans'
Cemetery. A temporary grave maker is used to identify gravesite until
the permanent
headstone
is delivered in approximately three to four
months.
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How Much Notice Should Be
Provided For The Military Funeral Honors Request?
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/need.asp
The Services requests at least 48
hours in order to organize the funeral honors detail.
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Burial at Sea
http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/burial_at_sea.asp
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Other Related Links
http://www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil/linkpage.html
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To read PDF
documents, you need a PDF viewer. You can download a free copy of
Acrobat Reader.
~
Additional
Services for Military Funeral Honors Listed Below
All Navy, Coast
Guard and Merchant Marine Will
Receive Piping
from the Volunteer State Veterans Honor Guard
Piping
Boatswains have been in charge of the deck
force since the days of sail. Setting sails, heaving lines, and hosting
anchors required coordinated team
effort and boatswains
used whistle signals to order the coordinated actions. When visitors were
hoisted aboard or over the side, the pipe was used to
order "Hoist Away" or
"Avast heaving." In time, piping became a naval
honor on shore as well as at sea.
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