Your Trusted Veterans Memorial Service Provider

Because the men and women who have served our nation embody the ideals we all hold so dear, Ferdinand honors the customs and special presentations they deserve: 21 Rifle Salute, Flag Presentation Ceremony, Graveside Ceremony in any of the 131 National Cemeteries across the country, and/or the playing of Taps.

When a Veteran dies, his or her next of kin may be entitled to some very special Veteran funeral benefits, such as:

• Grave site in any of the 135 National Cemeteries across the country  
• Military funeral honors
• Opening and closing of the grave
• Perpetual care
• A government headstone
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate
• A burial flag
• In some cases, a burial allowance
• Spouses and dependents may be buried in a national cemetery with the Veteran (this includes perpetual care, the spouse and/or dependents name(s) and date(s) of birth and death inscribed on the Veteran's headstone)
• Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried in a national cemetery, even if they predecease the Veteran

For more information on the above, please visit: https://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/.

The Veterans Benefits Administration also offers a variety of benefits and services to spouses, children, and parents of Service members and Veterans who are deceased, including various compensation, pensions, educational benefits, vocational counseling, financial counseling, civil service preferences, fiduciary services, etc. To learn more, visit the US Department of Veterans Affairs website here: https://www.va.gov/opa/persona/dependent_survivor.asp

The VA's National Cemetery Administration maintains 135 national cemeteries in 40 states (and Puerto Rico) as well as State Veterans Cemeteries and 33 soldiers’ lots and monument sites. Go here for further information regarding burial and inurnment sites: https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/cems/index.asp

More than 218,000 Americans are buried or memorialized overseas. Some Veterans were born and raised in foreign nations—those who wish to return to their homeland have honorable options as well; visit the American Battle Monuments Commission for further details: https://www.abmc.gov/ 

Service men and women come from all over the United States, its island territories, and abroad to serve in the Armed Forces. For those wishing to return to their homeland, we are experienced in domestic and international transportation logistics, consulate documentation, apostille certifications, and translation of all pertinent documents (which can very helpful for family members when working with the Department of Defense’s paperwork).

Our state-of-the-art crematorium is on-site. This means your Veteran’s remains will not leave our care to be transported to a cremation facility and then returned. An on-site facility is an uncommon amenity and ensures the integrity of your loved one’s remains. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same honorable manner and as casketed remains.

In addition to the support the local Veterans Affairs office may offer you, Ferdinand also provides grief support groups, online counseling services, 365 days of email affirmations (preview Day 1 of these daily emails here, and interactive videos in the weeks and months following your loss.

Quick facts

• In some cases, the Department of Veterans Affairs will pay partial reimbursement of an eligible Veteran’s burial and funeral cost. This amount varies, however, and is determined by service-relation as the cause of death. For example, if a Soldier dies in combat or while on duty, he or she will be eligible for burial and funeral costs to be paid by the Department of the VA.
• Grave sites in Department of VA national cemeteries cannot be reserved in advance, the staff at Ferdinand recommends you make pre-arrangements with us. Families should be made aware of the Veteran’s wishes and have knowledge of where his or her discharge paperwork is kept—specifically the DD214, which is critical in establishing eligibility.
• The Department of VA does not pay for cremation directly. This service obtained from Ferdinand will be at the family’s expense. Some families may be entitled to a burial allowance, which could cover some of these expenses (view the Burial Plot Interment Allowance fact sheet here: https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/faq.asp)
• A United States flag is provided by the Department of VA to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased Veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.

More questions? Please call the team here at Ferdinand Funeral Homes & Crematory and we will address them. We would be humbled and honored to serve your family as you prepare to lay your Veteran to rest.