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Veterans’ Cemetery and Funeral Services in Mesa, AZ

Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation has a proud history of military service going back to our founder, B. Allen Bunker (top row, second from right). One of the greatest honors we have is providing veterans’ funeral services to the great people who served our country in the armed forces. We continue to support those who have served by offering the most comprehensive veterans’ funeral options.

 

Benefits for Honorably Discharged Members & Are Military Funerals Free?

While military funerals are not free, the family of a veteran can cover some of the cost of a funeral through veteran benefit programs. Did you know that an honorably discharged member of the armed forces and his spouse can receive a free burial at veterans’ memorial cemetery? The honorably discharged member and his or her spouse can also receive other services worth up to $7,000. These benefits include:

  • A United States flag
  • Military honors
  • A taps and flag presentation by your branch of service
  • Burial at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona

The veterans’ memorial cemetery will provide:

  • A plot at a vet cemetery
  • Opening & closing of the grave space
  • A standard government liner
  • A bronze grave marker
  • Use of the shelter for 30-minute services

We are fortunate to live close to the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, which is at 23029 Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85024. The veteran funeral cemetery is open Monday through Friday. If interred at a private cemetery, you are still entitled to a military grave marker.

 

Requirements for veteran funeral and burial benefits

While almost all honorably discharged members of the military qualify for the above benefits, it is important that your family has the proper documentation to prove that you qualify. To ensure that all of your paperwork is in order and your benefits are secure, we highly recommend meeting with one of our veteran advance planning specialists. Fill out the form below to meet with one of our veteran advance planning specialists completely free of charge. We can help advise you on how to get benefits to cover a military funeral and on how to get funeral benefits for a veteran’s spouse.

 

The Components of a Military Funeral

While many individuals have attended a military funeral, other people may not be familiar with a military funeral service’s key component. Each component serves as part of a respected tradition for honoring men and women who have served our country.

Military funeral services can vary, and services often differ depending on the person’s rank and military status when they died. Nonetheless, military funerals typically include the following:

An honor guard detail – Honor guards are two members of the armed forces that attend the veteran’s funeral. One or both attending members must be from the veteran’s same branch. Honor guards carry out each step of the military funeral, and they ensure that each component occurs correctly.

A flag draping – A key part of a military funeral is a draped burial flag over the veteran’s casket or urn. It is a symbolic reminder of the veteran’s service to the country and our flag. When there is a closed casket, the flag lays with the blue field over the deceased’s left shoulder.

A sounding of Taps – “Taps” is the name for the bugle call or trumpet sounding that honors the veteran at a military funeral. The family can have a live bugler at the burial or play a recording.

A three-volley salute – Some military funerals feature a “three-volley salute,” consisting of three shots in the air from a rifle. Most three-volley salutes use a traditional M1 or M14 rifle, and service members fire the shots over the casket. The three shots symbolize duty, honor, and sacrifice.

A flag folding ceremony – At the end of the military funeral, the honor guards will fold the flag on the veteran’s casket. The honor guards fold the flag with a precise 13-fold process. After the folding ceremony, the honor guards give the flag to the veteran’s family members as a memorial item.

Members of the armed forces make a tremendous sacrifice to protect our country and our freedoms. With traditional military funerals, we can pay respect to their lives and service.

 

Contact Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation

It is important to know that military funerals take significant planning. Of course, they do not happen on their own, and the veteran’s family will need to request a military funeral and a plot at a national cemetery for their loved one.

At Bunker Hill Funerals & Cremation, we can help families with the process of setting up a military funeral. In addition to planning and logistics, our funeral home can also help families navigate the forms and requirements for receiving a veteran’s burial and funeral benefits. As detailed above, eligible veterans and their spouses may receive up to $7,000 in burial benefits.

Bunker Family Funerals & Cremation has been serving families of Mesa, Arizona and the surrounding area for over a century. For more information on veteran funeral services, veterans cremation services, or veterans benefits, please call (480) 964-8686 to schedule an appointment.

Request a Free Veterans Pre-Planning Guide

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