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.
FAQs- National Cemetery Administration:
https://www.cem.va.gov/faq.asp
The preferred method is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. If the DD214 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
Cabarrus County Veterans Services Website
363 Church Street N, Suite 180, Concord NC 28025
(704)920-2869
Stanly County Veterans Services Website
1000 N 1st St #6, Albemarle NC 28001
(704)986-3694
Mecklenburg County Veterans Services Website
3205 Freedom Dr, Suite 2000, Bldg D, Charlotte NC 28208
(704)336-2102
Union County Veterans Services Website
407 N Main St, Monroe NC 28112
(704)283-3807
Rowan County Veterans Services Website
1935 Jake Alexander Blvd W, Suite A-2, Salisbury NC 28147
(704)216-8138
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers this survivors and burial benefits kit as a source of pre-need planning information and record storage for Veterans and their families. This kit is intended to be used as a supplement to the Summary of VA Dependents’ and Survivors’ Benefits pamphlet.
Included you will find Planning for the Future, a section to guide you through possible end-of-life and survivors’ benefits eligibility. This section will tell you what benefits are offered and when and how you should apply.
For your added benefit, we have provided space for you to add your own personal information that can be kept in one location for your use, and for the use of loved ones. These sections identify the location of important documents, account numbers, military discharge documents, and marital information.
Salisbury National Cemetery is our closest veterans cemetery, located at 501 Statesville Blvd, Salisbury NC 28144.
The cemetery is open to the public daily from dawn until dusk for visitation of cemetery grounds.
Gravesites are assigned by the cemetery and cannot be selected in advance. Assignments are made without regard to rank, ethnic or religious background, branch of service or other factors.
Salisbury allows for in-ground casket and cremation burials. There is also an above-ground columbarium available for urns.
The veteran and spouse are interred in the same grave.
The funeral home will call the National Scheduling office to schedule a burial/inurnment after faxing the DD214.
Military honors are arranged by the funeral home.
Burials are only Monday through Friday at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm or 2:00 pm.
Columbarium niche dimensions are 10" Width x 14" Tall x 19" Deep
Only 15 to 20 minutes is allotted for the service at the committal shelter, including military honors.
Cemetery staff will provide an envelope to the next-of-kin with VA marker information.
The casket cannot be opened.
Only two flowers may be left to place at the grave.
Restrooms and an electronic gravesite locator are adjacent to the administration building. This is also a good place for everyone to gather before heading over to the committal shelter 15 minutes prior to the scheduled service time.
Fresh-cut flowers are permitted throughout the year. Once blooms are spent or damaged by weather, they are removed. Artificial flowers are only allowed after October 10th and must be removed when mowing operations resume on April 15th.
To maintain the dignity of the cemetery, commemorative items, permanent plantings, balloons, pinwheels, glass items, votive lights, among other items are not allowed. No item or object may be attached to a headstone, marker or columbarium cover in a national cemetery.