Procedures for burial at the National Memorial Cemetery in Arizona

Our funeral home will schedule and handle all necessary paperwork when families select National Memorial Cemetery in Arizona for burial.  The family will need to supply us with their loved one’s DD-214 (discharge papers) for us to present to the cemetery for proof of eligibility.  Once we provide proof of eligibility, we will then request the date/time for the committal service.

The national cemetery schedules committal services Monday – Friday only.  Services can start as early as 9:00am, and the last service is scheduled at 1:00pm for casket burials, and 2:00pm for cremains burials.

When you arrive at the cemetery, there will be a marquee near the entrance that will list your loved one’s name along with the number or letter of your assigned committal shelter.  When you arrive at the assigned committal shelter, you will be met by a cemetery representative who will provide you with the deceased’s burial documents (including a map of where the burial plot or columbarium niche will be).

Committal Shelter

Viewing facilities are not available and graveside funeral services cannot be held at VA national cemeteries, only a final committal service may be performed. For safety reasons, these services are held at a committal shelter rather than at the grave site. This will insure the family’s safety and provide a fitting location for military honors, along with the ability of the staff to continue burial operations.  Burial will take place following the committal service. 

Committal services can last no longer than 30 minutes.  Services should begin and end on time. The cemetery rep will let you know when your 30 minutes is up (even if they need to interrupt the service). Please be on time, and please make sure whoever you have leading the service is aware of the 30-minute time period.  No exceptions will be made.

Military Honors - TAPS

Each service will start with military honors.  Military Honors and Flag Presentation will be provided by the Military Honor Guard.  You cannot request for honors to be performed last or in the middle of the service.  The service will start with taps, then the flag folding ceremony.  And (depending on each individual case) the 21-gun salute will also take place at this time.  Please allow 5-10 minutes for military honors.

Floral arrangements may accompany the casket or urn from the committal shelter and will be placed on the grave after burial.  You can bring as many flowers as you wish to the committal service, but only 2 floral arrangements are allowed to actually go to the grave site.  Fresh cut and artificial flowers may be placed on graves at any time. 

All Veterans interred at a national cemetery are eligible for a headstone or marker. It normally takes a minimum of 90 days following a burial for the headstone or marker to be completed and in place. A headstone or marker will be ordered by cemetery personnel upon inscription approval by the next of kin (which Sonoran Skies Mortuary will help you take care of).  In most cases, one grave site is provided for the burial of all eligible family members and a single headstone or marker is provided.  When both spouses are Veterans, two grave sites and two headstones or markers may be provided if requested.

Grave sites are assigned and cannot be selected in advance. Assignments are made without regard to rank, ethnic or religious background, branch of service or other factors. A husband and wife are interred in the same plot unless both were Veterans. In that case, they may be buried side by side in separate plots. Cremated remains are buried in the ground in specially designated sections of the cemetery or in above ground columbaria.

Please do not forget to bring the flag with you to the cemetery.  (This will be the flag the Honor Guard will use for the Flag Presentation).  The national cemetery will not supply a flag for the flag folding ceremony during military honors.  Sonoran Skies Mortuary will help obtain the flag for you.  Once again, the DD-214 Form must be produced by the family in order for the funeral home to determine eligibility and obtain the flag.

Caskets/urns will not be removed for burial/placement until all family and friends have left the committal area.  No unauthorized persons will be allowed in the grave site area during burial.  You will be given a map of where the burial plot or columbarium niche is, but you are not allowed to view the actual burial process. Family is welcome back after 4:00pm to visit the grave site.  National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona is open daily from sunrise to sunset.

If you have any questions regarding any of the procedures for burial at the National Memorial Cemetery in Arizona, please contact us directly at 480-985-4900.