Tips for Planning a Military Funeral

Tips for Planning a Military Funeral

August 31, 2021

If your deceased loved one served our country, you might be wondering how to plan a military funeral. As with any type of funeral, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into planning a military funeral. You still have to schedule the burial, decide on a monument, arrange a funeral guard and more. However, a military funeral has special considerations that most other funerals don’t have.

If you’re looking to make things a bit easier on yourself, follow these tips for how to plan a military funeral:

  • Speak with your loved ones: When planning any funeral, it’s good to get input from others that knew the deceased. Ask them how they think the deceased would like to be remembered. Speaking with loved ones about the deceased may also help you all work through any sad feelings. Planning every aspect of a funeral on your own is never easy. Consider asking for help when you need it.
  • Write a nice eulogy: One of the most important parts of any funeral is the eulogy. When writing a eulogy for a loved one who was a veteran, consider speaking heavily about their military service. You could talk about any accomplishments they made, whether in or out of the military. A eulogy should serve as a good reflection of one’s life. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right words. This is another opportunity in which speaking to your loved ones could be beneficial. Your loved ones can help you decide on the right tone for your eulogy as well as what stories to include.
  • Choose the right casket and photo: Choosing the right casket is essential, but there are so many different options that finding the right casket can be quite difficult. Be sure to greatly consider what your loved one would’ve wanted. You should also take your time and consider bringing someone with you to shop for caskets. Many places offer military-themed caskets that feature service emblems. When choosing the photo, you’ll probably want to go with one of your loved one in uniform.
  • Paying for the funeral: Paying for a funeral can be quite expensive due to the price of the casket, burials fees and other arrangement fees. Sometimes funerals can cost thousands of dollars. Military funerals don’t have these same types of budgetary restraints, as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will usually cover up to $2,000 of service fees for veterans.
  • Work with the right funeral service: When planning a military funeral, it’s best to work with a funeral home that has experience in that area. They can help you set up all the arrangements while staying within budget. Funeral homes experienced in military funerals can also help you set up a flag-folding ceremony and hire a funeral guard. They may also be able to help you find a service member to play “Taps.”

Contact Phillipsburg Memorial Company if you’re looking for the perfect headstone for your deceased loved one, as well as for more ideas on how to plan a military funeral. We will work closely with you to design a headstone that perfectly reflects your cherished veteran’s life.

Categorised in: