Veterans Overview
How We Honor Our Military Personnel
Serving Those Who Served Our Country
No matter what branch of the military you were in, as veterans you served our country in times of war and in times of peace to ensure that all Americans enjoy the freedoms that our country was built upon. Today, our military personnel continue to sacrifice their time, their energies, and sometimes even their lives to uphold the liberties that are a part of the framework of our country.
At Cooper Funeral Home, we are proud to serve veterans who fought to uphold our country's freedoms and for those military personnel and their families today who are serving in the US and abroad.
Guiding Our Veterans, Military Personnel, and Their Families
For veterans and those who are serving in the military, it's important that they receive a full military sendoff that commemorates their sacrifice and that of their family. At Cooper Funeral Home, we want to help these families navigate this difficult time and guide them through the process to ensure that their military spouse will receive all of the burial benefits that are offered to veterans and military personnel.
Our military personnel and veterans served our country well. Now it’s time for us to honor them one final time during their last and final mission. It’s a way for the family, loved ones, friends, and comrades to recognize the sacrifice they made for this country and for the commendable way they lived their lives.
We can tailor your loved one's celebration to include a flag presentation, graveside ceremony, playing of taps, 21-gun salute, and other military tributes
In addition to their military honors, we will help you create a celebration that is befitting their unique personality and interests and is everything they would have wanted it to be.
Pre-planning to Ensure You Receive Burial Benefits
You don't want to burden your family with the task of planning your funeral, along with having to navigate the Veteran's Administration to receive the burial benefits that you deserve. Pre-planning helps ensure you receive all of your military burial benefits when you need them.
We'll handle all of the paperwork for you and step you through all of your options so that you and your spouse can ensure that your military sendoff is befitting the sacrifice you made to your country. Plus, your spouse can receive the same type of benefits as you, even if he or she predeceases you.
Click here to see the advantages of preplanning your burial options to ensure your funeral is just the way you want it!
How to Determine Your Eligibility for Military Honors
How to Receive Military Honors
The basic Military Funeral Honors (MFH) ceremony consists of the folding and presentation of the United States flag to the veterans' family and the playing of Taps. The ceremony is performed by a funeral honors detail consisting of at least two members of the Armed Forces.
The Funeral Honors rendered to you or your veteran will be determined by the status of the veteran. The type of Funeral Honors may be Full Military Honors, 7 Person Detail or a Standard Honors Team Detail.
At least one of the funeral honors detail will be from the Armed Force in which the deceased veteran served. Taps may be played by a bugler or, if a bugler is not available, by using a quality recorded version. Military Funeral Honor Teams may act as Pall Bearers if requested by the veteran/family.
In addition, you can contact the National Cemetery Administration to determine eligibility to be buried in a national cemetery.
Who is eligible 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 conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Who is not eligible for Military Funeral Honors?
- Any person separated from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions or whose character of service results in a bar to veteran's benefits.
- Any person who was ordered to report to an induction station, but was not actually inducted into military service.
- Any person discharged from the Selected Reserve prior to completing one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service for reasons other than a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
- Any person convicted of a Federal or State capital crime sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
How do I establish veteran eligibility?
The preferred method is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active 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 and sending it to:
National Personnel Records Center(NPRC)
9700 Page Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
The Standard Form 180 may be obtained from the National Records Center or via the following web site: http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf
Is anyone else eligible to receive funeral honors?
Yes. Members of the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as members of a Uniformed Service, are also eligible to receive funeral honors.
For NOAA personnel, eligibility is established using NOAA Form 56-16, Report of Transfer or Discharge. If the family does not have a copy of the NOAA Form 56-16, it may by obtained by contacting the Chief, Officer Services Division, NOAA Commissioned Personnel Center at (301) 713-7715. or by writing:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Commissioned Personnel Center
Chief, Officer Services Division (CPC1)
1315 East-West Highway, Room 12100
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
For PHS personnel, funeral honors eligibility is established using PHS Form 1867, Statement of Service (equivalent to the DD Form 214). If the family does not have a copy of the Statement of Service, it may be obtained by contacting the Privacy Coordinator for the Commissioned Corps at (240) 453-6041 or writing:
Division of Commissioned Personnel/HRS/PSC
Attention: Privacy Act Coordinator
5600 Fishers Lane
4-36
Rockville, Maryland 20857
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