Our Services in Shiloh, O'Fallon and Belleville, IL
From our family of veterans to yours
As a veterans' founded Funeral Home, we're proud to do our part in honoring our country's veterans. Our duty is to provide you and your family with professional and dignified assistance during your time of need, and we promise to support you in honoring your loved ones for their dedication and selfless service.
Our experienced staff has many years of planning a funeral for veterans on a daily basis for families from Shiloh, O'Fallon and Belleville, IL. We will make sure to include anything your family needs to properly honor your loved one’s life.
Who is Eligible for this Service?
Military funeral honors are available to eligible members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard. Their eligibility will be determined by their DD-214 or discharge papers.
The following qualify for military funeral honors:
- Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under honorable conditions.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under honorable conditions.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
- Veterans, service members, spouses, and dependents may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery, as well as other benefits if they meet one of the requirements.
Funeral Honors and Protocol
Depending on your loved one’s eligibility, they can receive a variety of veteran burial benefits and veteran death benefits. At a military funeral of an eligible veteran, they are entitled to the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin, and the playing of Taps by a bugler or recording.
There will also be an honor guard detail that includes at least two members of the Armed Forces performing these specific honors. One of the members needs to be a representative from the military branch the veteran served in, and this will be the person who presents the flag at the service.
Additional honors at a military funeral include:
- A three-volley rifle salute to represent duty, honor, and country
- The U.S. flag draped over the casket
- A final salute at the gravesite
You can also personalize your loved one’s service. You can arrange a speech or even a session of their favorite music. Or ask family and friends to bring a picture or a flower. We can help you find the best ideas and make it unique.
If there is anything else you wish, ask us and we will do all we can to honor them. You can also read our blog about etiquette and what to do when attending a military funeral service.
Veteran Benefits
Along with coordinating veteran funeral services and the military funeral honors that come along with them, we can also help you contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to arrange for:
- A Presidential Memorial Certificate: This certificate expresses our country’s recognition of the veteran's service. The veteran's name is inscribed on the certificate, and it bears the President’s signature.
- Headstones or markers: Veterans and their eligible dependents may qualify for headstones or markers provided by the VA.
- Memorial plots: Sometimes the veteran’s remains are not available for burial. In these cases, the VA can provide a plot and a headstone or marker in a national cemetery. If you want to memorialize the veteran in a different cemetery, the VA will provide the headstone or marker but not the plot.
- Burial in a VA national cemetery: This includes the gravesite at any of the136 Veteran Affairs’ National Cemeteries, opening and closing of the grave, a grave box, and perpetual care.
- Veteran Burial Benefits: Some families may receive a reimbursement of burial expenses. To see if you qualify, and to learn more about the different levels of potential reimbursement, please review the Guide to VA Burial Allowances.
Learn more through this additional resources
We have veterans on our experienced team ready to assist your family in planning a military funeral. However, we know that fully understanding all the veteran burial benefits and veteran death benefits can be a little overwhelming at first.
To help you get started, we have provided the links to some helpful resources below:
- VA Burial Benefits and Memorial Items
- Veterans' Funeral and Burial Benefits
- Military Funeral Honors
- Request Military Service Records
Still Unsure? Turn to us, we can help.
Let’s work together to honor your veteran with the funeral service they deserve.
