Military Funeral Honors – Veteran Recognition
It is our honor to be able to arrange for military honors for veterans. Having military honors is an opportunity that families are encouraged to take advantage of it. Military honors are available to all eligible service members upon the request. This benefit is secured in the National Defense Authorization Act, Section 578 of Public Law 106-65 which mandates that the United States Armed Forces shall provide the rendering of honors in a military funeral for any eligible veteran.
The number of military members executing honors for a veteran varies, but will always include at least 2 members of the armed services. As well, a separate bugle player is usually present, so generally 3 military members are present. Veterans are allowed only one honors ceremony.
If the veteran serviced 20 or more years, was a medal of honor recipients, a higher rank officer or active duty veteran, events may be more elaborate. All ceremonies will however include the formal flag presentation, playing of taps and sometimes a rifle salute.
The veterans lenght of service does not matter when being approved for honors, only that they have completed their service under honorable discharge status.
Military Funeral Honors
We take care of all aspects of organizing an honor guard to perform military honors for the family. It takes place before the family boards the yacht for the burial at sea service. Sometimes it takes place on the yacht and sometime on land at an area near the departure point.
The Flag
We will arrange for a flag to be present at the service, it is provided by the Veterans Administration at NO cost.
After the military honors service, the flag is presented to the next of kin. It is for display purposes only and not designed to be flown.
We arrange for the Presidential Certificate is a special program started in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy. The Presidential Certificate is an engraved high quality vellum certificate with the official Presidential Seal. It is signed by the current President of the United States.
This special recognition states in part,
“This certificate is awarded by a grateful nation in recognition of the devoted and selfless consecration to the service of our country in the Armed Forces of the United States.”
A Live Bugle Player
Bugle Player – you may get 2
We arrange for a live bugle player through “Bugles Across America”. For all branches of the services with the exception of the Marines, the taps played at military honors is recorded. There is a button on the bugle that is pressed to play the recording.
We prefer to have a actual bugle player, so we organize this through “Bugles Across America”. It is a organization where members ( veterans themselves ) give freely of their time to come to the honors presentation and play.
Eligibility for Military Honors
- Veterans who died while on active duty or in the Selected Reserve
- Veterans 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 were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
- If they have been convicted of capital offenses and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole or receive the death penalty.
- If they were discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions, which includes dishonorable discharge, bad conduct discharge, dismissal from the service by court-martial, other than honorable conditions.
- For officers, resignation for the good of the service in lieu of courts-martial.