Funeral Home and Cremation Veterans’ Services

Working in the armed forces or as a US service member is an amazing personal sacrifice, and our veterans deserve our gratitude and honor in any way we can give it. One way we show our thanks is through veteran’s funeral home and cremation services in Piscataway, NJ. 

If you or one of your family members served, it’s important to know about the post-humus benefits that are available to veterans. This way, you can be sure your loved one gets the honor he or she deserves.  

Military Protocol and Honors For Funerals and Cremations  

The United States has laws that provide eligible veterans with military funeral and cremation services honors. If an eligible service member’s family requests, the government must provide no-cost honors such as:   

• Flag Folding and Presentation: All eligible veterans have the right for to have at least 2 Armed Forces members serving as an honor guard during the funeral. At least one of these guards will be from the deceased’s service branch, and this guard will present a traditionally folded American flag to the next of kin or designated person upon the funeral’s completion.  
• “Taps”- “Taps” is a bugle song traditionally associated with military and patriotic funerals. Though live bugle performances are rarely seen these days, military funeral honors require that a high-quality recording of the song be played at any eligible funeral services if no live bugle is available.  
• Flag Burial - A flag is provided at no cost to the family to drape the casket or accompany the urn. The flag will then be folded and presented to eligible family members such as the next of kin or requested friends. Family members may donate their flags to national cemeteries with Avenue of Flags so the flag can be flown on patriotic holidays to honor the deceased, or they may keep the flag as a keepsake or at-home memorial.  
• Headstone - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can furnish a headstone at no cost to the family. These veteran’s headstones are made available for any veteran regardless of date of death. These headstones come in bronze, marble and granite in various styles to match existing headstones in the place of burial. A similar service is available for cremated remains in the form of niche markers for columbariums.  

Is My Loved One Eligible? 

Military funeral service honors are given to members of the United States Armed Forces. The Armed Forces consist of the Marines, Army, National Guard, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard. The veteran must also meet one or more the following requirements:  

• Passed away while in active duty or Selective Reserve 
• Completed at least one term of enlistment or initial obligated service in the Selective Reserve, and was not dishonorably discharged  
• Served on active duty, or in the Selected Reserve, and was not dishonorably discharged  

Plinton Curry Funeral Home located at 411 W Broad St Westfield, NJ 07090 is honored to help memorialize and celebrate the life of your service member or veteran with our Piscataway, NJ funeral home and cremation services. Please reach out to us at (908) 232-6869 to learn more about veteran services and how we can help.