Military Funeral Honors & Burial
When a veteran is laid to rest, a grateful nation rises to honor them. This is how that honor is given — the flag, the bugle, the salute, and the place of rest they earned through a lifetime of service.
The Honors Every Veteran Has Earned
By federal law, every eligible veteran is entitled to military funeral honors — a folding of the flag, the playing of Taps, and the presentation of the flag to the next of kin. These are not favors. They are earned.
The Folding of the Flag
The flag is folded into a tri-cornered shape, twelve folds in all. Each fold carries meaning — from a tribute to life, to faith in eternal life, to a tribute to the armed forces that protect our nation. The final triangle, with only the blue union of stars showing, symbolizes the motto 'In God We Trust.'
The Playing of Taps
A single bugler sounds the twenty-four notes of Taps — the most recognizable bugle call in the world, and the most solemn. When no bugler is present, an electronic recording is used. The notes are a final goodnight to the fallen, and a promise that their rest is earned.
The Presentation of the Flag
The honor guard kneels and presents the folded flag to the next of kin, with the words: 'On behalf of the President of the United States, the United States [branch], and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service.'
The Three-Volley Salute
A firing party of three to seven service members fires three volleys — not a twenty-one-gun salute, but a rifle salute. The tradition dates to the days of dynastic war, when a pause in fighting allowed each side to remove their dead. Three volleys signaled the field was clear.
“Day is done, gone the sun, from the lakes, from the hills, from the sky. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.”
— Taps, by Daniel Butterfield, 1862
Burial Benefits & Memorial Items
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides these benefits at no cost to the families of eligible veterans. If you are planning ahead, you may request a pre-need eligibility determination today.
Burial in a National Cemetery
Eligible veterans, service members, and some dependents may be buried in any of the 155+ VA national cemeteries at no cost — including the gravesite, opening and closing, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.
VA Burial Benefits→Government Headstone or Marker
The VA provides a headstone, marker, or medallion at no cost for eligible veterans in any cemetery — national, state, tribal, or private. The inscription includes the veteran's name, branch, rank, dates of service, and a personal term of endearment if the family wishes.
Request a Headstone→Burial Allowance
The VA offers a burial allowance to help offset funeral and burial costs for eligible veterans — a service-connected death, a veteran receiving a VA pension, or a veteran hospitalized by the VA at the time of death. Rates vary and must be claimed within two years.
Burial Allowance→Presidential Memorial Certificate
A signed certificate from the President of the United States, honoring the memory of an honorably discharged veteran. Families may request one for each surviving next of kin — a small, deeply meaningful token of a nation's gratitude.
Request a Certificate→Burial Flags
The VA provides a United States burial flag, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of an honorably discharged veteran. After the service, the folded flag is presented to the next of kin as a lasting symbol of the nation's gratitude.
Request a Burial Flag→Pre-Need Eligibility Determination
Veterans and their families may request a pre-need determination of eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery in advance — so that, when the time comes, the arrangements are already in place and the family can focus on remembrance.
Pre-Need Eligibility→Places of Final Rest
From Arlington to the smallest state cemetery, the nation keeps green and quiet places for those who served. Each one is a promise kept.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia
Our nation's most sacred shrine, established in 1864 on the grounds of Robert E. Lee's estate. More than 400,000 veterans and their dependents rest here, from every American conflict. It is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame at President Kennedy's grave.
Calvary National Cemetery & State Cemeteries
Nationwide
Beyond Arlington, the VA operates 155+ national cemeteries, and many states and tribes operate their own veterans cemeteries — from Fort Rosecrans overlooking the Pacific, to the Black Hills of South Dakota, to the woods of Maine. No veteran should be far from a place of honor.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Arlington National Cemetery
Guarded continuously, without interruption, since 1937 — by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, 'The Old Guard.' The Sentinels walk exactly 21 paces, turn, pause 21 seconds, and walk again, in every kind of weather, day and night. They guard those known but to God.
To verify a veteran's eligibility or begin planning, the VA's pre-need eligibility tool lets families make arrangements in advance — so that when the time comes, the only thing left to do is remember.