Veterans & Military Families

A practical checklist for planning a veteran's funeral, pulling together documentation, cemetery choice, and honors in one place.

An overview of burial and financial benefits available to surviving spouses and dependents of veterans.

Why the DD-214 matters for VA burial benefits, and how to request a copy if it's been lost.

Current VA burial allowance amounts for 2026, who can claim them, filing deadlines, the documents you need, and how to apply, with figures from VA.gov.

How discharge status affects VA burial benefit eligibility, and why Other Than Honorable status is worth pursuing rather than assuming disqualifies someone.

A complete overview of VA burial benefits, who qualifies, and what documentation is needed to access them.

How columbarium and cremation options work in national cemeteries, alongside traditional burial.

Who qualifies for burial in a national cemetery, and how the arrangement process typically works.

The specific rules around spouse and dependent burial alongside a veteran, including situations that can affect eligibility.

How state veterans cemeteries differ from federal national cemeteries, and when checking both options makes sense.

What a burial flag is, who qualifies, and how the folding and presentation typically works.

What military funeral honors typically include, and how to request them for a veteran's service.

VA burial benefits available to Native American veterans, and how tribal veteran honor traditions can be included alongside them.

What a Presidential Memorial Certificate is, who can request one, and how the process works.

What VA headstone and marker benefits actually include, and how the options differ depending on where a veteran is buried.

The ceremonial meaning behind folding the American flag into a triangle at a military funeral, and why it's presented to the family afterward.

The historical origin of the 21-gun salute, and why what's actually performed at most military funerals is technically a three-volley salute rather than 21 individual cannon shots.