What Benefits Do Veterans Qualify For, and What Is Included?
Summary
• Eligible veterans may receive burial in a national cemetery, a government-furnished marker, a burial flag, and military honors if eligible.
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and National Cemetery Administration (NCA) provide several burial and memorial benefits at no cost.
• Funeral directors often assist families with required paperwork and coordination of military funeral honors.
• Spouses and certain dependents may also qualify for burial benefits depending on eligibility.
What Benefits Do Veterans Qualify For, and What Is Included?
Families in St. Paul often ask what veterans’ funeral benefits include when planning a respectful farewell for a loved one who served. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), honorably discharged veterans, reservists, and National Guard members may be eligible for burial and memorial benefits that recognize their service. These national guidelines are accurate as of 2025.
The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) oversees burial benefits for eligible veterans in national cemeteries. These benefits may include a gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, and a government-furnished headstone or marker. Veterans may also receive a burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.
Families who choose burial in a private cemetery may still receive certain benefits, such as a government-issued headstone or marker, a burial flag, or a memorial certificate. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), funeral homes often help families complete the necessary paperwork and coordinate military funeral honors.
Military funeral honors may include the folding and presentation of the American flag and the playing of Taps. These traditions provide families with a meaningful moment of reflection and gratitude for a veteran’s service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What benefits are available for veterans’ funerals?
Eligible veterans may receive burial in a national cemetery, a government-furnished headstone or marker, a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military funeral honors if eligible.
Do all veterans receive military honors?
Most honorably discharged veterans typically qualify for military funeral honors, which include the folding of the American flag and the playing of Taps.
Can family members be buried with a veteran?
According to the VA, eligible spouses and certain dependents may be buried with the veteran in a national cemetery, depending on eligibility and available space.
Written for Simple Traditions by Bradshaw, proudly serving families in St. Paul with compassion and care.
About Simple Traditions by Bradshaw
Simple Traditions by Bradshaw is located at 488 Humboldt Ave, St. Paul, MN 55107 and can be reached at 651-767-9333. The funeral home is committed to supporting veterans’ families in St. Paul with guidance through funeral benefits, military honors, and meaningful remembrance.
