Honor a Veteran or Reservist with memorial items
While planning a burial for a Veteran or Reservist, you can apply for certain memorial items to honor their military service. An eligible spouse or other family member buried in a national cemetery, or certain other Veterans or military cemeteries, may also qualify for a headstone or marker to identify the place of burial.
Applying for a memorial item. Can I apply for one of these memorial items?
In most cases, you can apply for one of these memorial items if you’re representing the deceased Veteran, service member, or family member in any of these relationships or professional roles.
One of these must describe your relationship to the deceased:
You must be a member of the deceased’s family to apply for a memorial item if any of these descriptions is true:
Am I eligible for a burial flag?
You may be eligible for a burial flag if you’re the next of kin or a close friend of the Veteran or Reservist and one of these descriptions are true for that person.
One of these must describe the service of the Veteran or Reservist:
What kind of burial benefits can I get?
If you’re eligible, you may receive these benefits:
Is there a time limit for filing?
You must file a claim for a non-service-connected burial allowance within 2 years after the Veteran’s burial or cremation. If a Veteran’s discharge was changed after death from dishonorable to another status, you must file for an allowance claim within 2 years after the discharge update.
There’s no time limit to file for a service-connected burial, plot, or interment allowance.rough Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.