Veteran's Services and Benefits

If your loved one was a veteran, we want to be certain you and your family receive all the honors and benefits he or she earned through military service to our country. There are various veteran burial allowances that are provided to honorably discharged veterans and the spouses of honorably discharged deceased veterans. Please notify your funeral director of your loved one's service time and whether they were receiving any pensions or disability pay from the Veterans Administration. You will need to provide the funeral home with a copy of the veteran's DD214 (commonly called discharge papers) so that the funeral director can work with you to determine the benefits you are entitled to receive and to complete the paperwork necessary to file for those benefits.

The staff at Bauer Family Funeral Homes is thoroughly familiar with the details of military funerals. We have a complete selection of accessories dedicated to honoring veterans as well as a video documentary series entitled, "Lest They Be Forgotten," a series of powerful World War II documentaries by filmmaker Larry Cappetto, which is available through our lending library.

Some of the assistance we provide to families of veterans includes:

• Reviewing benefits, to guide funeral plans and avoid unnecessary spending.
• Obtaining the U. S. Flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran.
• Arranging for the honor guard and coordinating the details of the honor guard service.
• Coordinating with the local veteran's office and national cemeteries.
• Assisting families in completing the necessary forms and paperwork to apply for specific benefits (including cemetery space or a headstone or other marker, if applicable).

The closest national cemetery to our funeral homes is the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies located in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. For more information on this cemetery, CLICK HERE.

If you are looking for the grave of a deceased service member, you may want to visit the Department of Veterans Affairs Nationwide Gravesite Locator .

Federal Veteran Benefits:

• U. S. Flag - The Veterans Benefits Administration provides a complimentary U.S. Flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. The flag is furnished as a tangible way to honor the memory of a veteran's military service to his or her country.
• Veteran Death Certificates - the family of an honorably discharged deceased veteran is eligible to receive 10 free certified death certificates, which must be filed for by a funeral director at the time the original death certificate is filed with the state.
• Transportation Benefit - a transportation benefit is paid if death occurs in a VA hospital or VA nursing home.
• Burial Allowance - a burial allowance is paid to those receiving VA compensation or those who die in a VA hospital or a VA nursing home.

County Veteran Benefits:

• Small flag and military emblem flag holder - to be placed on a deceased veteran's grave.
• Headstone Allowance - A benefit of $50.00 is paid to the headstone provider or company who sets the headstone for honorably discharged wartime veterans as long as their service to the military is indicated on their marker or headstone.
• Burial Allowance - This is a one-time benefit paid by the county where the veteran had legal residence at the time of death. In most counties the burial allowance is $75.00.
• Military Funeral Honors - Veterans may also be eligible for military honors. This includes the folding of the flag and the playing of taps. The Armstrong County American Legion Honor Guard will provide these services at your request.

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