A Veteran and their spouse, or dependent child, may be eligible for burial at a Veteran’s Cemetery. The two State Veteran’s Cemeteries that are closest to Howard County are Garrison Forest Veteran’s Cemetery in Owings Mills, MD., and Crownsville Veteran’s Cemetery in Crownsville, MD. A discharge (DD214) or separation papers are required to prove eligibility for any Veteran’s Cemetery.
A full list and explanation of Veteran’s Benefits can be found at http://www.cem.va.gov and information regarding Arlington National Cemetery can be found at http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil
Specific criteria are required to be met for burial at any Veteran’s Cemetery. Please visit these websites for further clarification or contact us for additional information.
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, a Seven 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.
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.
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)
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
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
The staff at Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home is honored to serve those who have served our country and given so much of themselves to protect our freedom. Please let us know if there are any special requests by the family to honor your family member. We will work with you to make your remembrance special and unique to create a lasting memory.
