July 6, 2019
Military Funeral Honors is provided by the U.S. Armed Forces to show appreciation and gratitude to those who have served our country. It is a ceremonial paying of respect to a veteran’s family—no matter if it is a time of peace or war.
By law, an honor guard detail for the burial of an eligible veteran will always comprise of at least two Armed Forces members, with one member acting as the representative of the branch that the deceased veteran served in.
What Does an Honor Guard do?
In the Honor Guard ceremony, the detail will play Taps, fold the American Flag, and present this to the deceased veteran’s next of kin. Taps is traditionally played by a bugler, but if this individual is not available for the ceremony, a Ceremonial Bugle or electronic recording will take its place. Keep in mind that Honor Guard ceremonies can be more complex; this is based on availability of service members and family requests.
Arranging an Honor Guard for Your Deceased Veteran
Eligible veterans are all entitled to one Funeral Honors ceremony for their service. The ceremony itself is provided at no expense to the family by the U.S. Department of Defense and usually takes 48 hours to organize. If a family wishes to arrange Honors for their loved one, the process begins by expressing this wish to the funeral director handling the arrangements. This professional will work with the Military Funeral Honors coordinator.
Additionally, other methods of memorial are available to the next of kin of a deceased veteran, including the Presidential Memorial Certificate. This is a parchment certificate that expresses the nation’s recognition of the veteran’s service. The veteran’s name is inscribed on this document and it signed by the President. For more information about this document, visit www.cem.va.gov/pmc.asp.
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