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.

VA National Cemeteries Now Offering Pre-Need Eligibility Determinations

Posted on March 17, 2017

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it now provides eligibility determinations for interment in a VA national cemetery prior to the time of need. Through the Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility Program, upon request, individuals can learn if they are eligible for burial or memorialization in a VA national cemetery.

“MyVA is about looking at VA from the Veterans’ perspective, and then doing everything we can to make the Veteran Experience effective and seamless,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald. “This new program reaffirms our commitment to providing a lifetime of benefits and services for Veterans and their families.”

Interested individuals may submit VA Form 40-10007, Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery, and supporting documentation, such as a DD Form 214, if readily available, to the VA National Cemetery Scheduling Office by: toll-free fax at 1-855-840-8299; email to Eligibility.PreNeed@va.gov; or mail to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office, P.O. Box 510543, St. Louis, MO 63151.

VA will review applications and provide written notice of its determination of eligibility. VA will save determinations and supporting documentation in an electronic information system to expedite burial arrangements at the time of need. Because laws and personal circumstances change, upon receipt of a burial request, VA will validate all pre-need determinations in accordance with the laws in effect at that time.

VA operates 135 national cemeteries and 33 soldiers’ lots in 40 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict, are buried in VA’s national cemeteries. VA also provides funding to establish, expand and maintain 105 Veterans cemeteries in 47 states and territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, and Saipan. For Veterans buried in private or other cemeteries, VA provides headstones, markers or medallions to commemorate their service. In 2016, VA honored more than 345,000 Veterans and their loved ones with memorial benefits in national, state, tribal and private cemeteries.

Eligible individuals are entitled to burial in any open VA national cemetery, opening/closing of the grave, a grave liner, perpetual care of the gravesite, and a government-furnished headstone or marker or niche cover, all at no cost to the family. Veterans are also eligible for a burial flag and may be eligible for a Presidential Memorial Certificate.

Information on VA burial benefits is available from local VA national cemetery offices, from the Internet at www.cem.va.gov, or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000.  To make burial arrangements at any open VA national cemetery at the time of need, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

Please visit www.cem.va.gov/pre-need/ for more info!

10 VERY IMPORTANT Veteran Funeral Benefits Facts!

The following is a list of 10 very important facts about veteran funeral benefits. Please review them and contact us if you need any help making any arrangements for a veteran’s funeral, cremation or memorial service.  Many people are confused about the benefits that veterans are entitled to, making these 10 facts important to learn and understand:

#1 - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits do not cover all the funeral or cremation arrangements of honorably discharged veterans.

There are certain monetary, recognition and service benefits that may be available. However, reimbursement for funeral or cremation service expenses is limited, and usually only applies to veterans who:

• Retire from the Armed Services, or
• Were disabled due to a service-related injury, or
• Died in a VA hospital or while in a nursing home under VA contract

Standard guidelines are provided as an overview, but only the VA can rule on your exact benefits.


#2 - You will need documentation to verify military service.

In order to verify military service, you will need to provide discharge papers – also known as the DD-214 Form. If the family does not have this paperwork available at the time of the individual’s death, they can visit https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records to obtain them.  The funeral home can also help to obtain these records.


#3 - A veteran’s family must request a United States flag.
A flag is provided free of charge, and can be used to drape over the casket or accompany the cremation urn of the veteran who has passed away. The flag is presented to the next of kin. In order to obtain this flag, the family should complete an Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes form (Form 27-2008) and provide a copy of the veteran’s discharge papers (DD-214 Form).

A flag is provided at no cost to drape the casket or accompany the cremation urn of a deceased veteran. Generally, the flag is presented to the next of kin. Only one flag may be provided per veteran. Upon the request of the family, an Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes (VA Form 21-2008) must be submitted along with a copy of the veteran’s discharge papers (DD-214 Form). Flags may be obtained from VA regional offices and most U.S. Post Offices. For your family’s convenience, we will request your flag and have it present for the services if you utilize our funeral home for final arrangements.


#4 - Military Funeral Honors ceremonies must be scheduled in advance.
Federal law states that every eligible veteran must receive a military funeral honors ceremony, including the folding and presentation of the United States flag and the playing of taps, should the family request such a service.
This Department of Defense program calls for the funeral home to request military funeral honors on behalf of the veteran’s family.  We will coordinate with the veteran’s organizations to assist in the provision of military funeral honors.


#5 - Veterans’ caskets are not free of charge.
Neither the VA nor the branches of the armed services offer a free casket for a deceased veteran, except in the instance that death occurred while on active duty.


#6 - A Presidential Memorial Certificate must be requested.
The Presidential Memorial Certificate is an engraved paper certificate that is signed by the current president, to honor the memory of an honorably discharged, deceased veteran. To receive this prestigious certificate, the family of the veteran can apply by completing a Presidential Memorial Certificate Request Form (Form 40-0247) at any VA regional office or send in by U.S. mail.


#7 - For those veterans who are not buried in a VA national cemetery, monetary burial benefits are limited.
Those who are buried in a private cemetery may be eligible for a partial reimbursement to cover burial costs. This typically includes a $700 burial allowance and a $700 plot allowance.
In order to determine the final reimbursement amount, an Application for Burial Benefits (VA Form 21-530) must be submitted within two years from the date of the veteran’s permanent burial.


# 8 - There are requirements that must be met in order to bury a person in a VA national cemetery.
Those who died while on active duty and veterans who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable are entitled to be buried in a VA national cemetery.  Under certain conditions, the non-remarried surviving spouse and minor children of an eligible person are also entitled to this benefit.

• Burial in a VA national cemetery includes:
• An assigned gravesite (if space if available)
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A grave liner for casketed remains
• A government headstone or marker
• Perpetual care at no cost to the family

Cremated remains are buried or inurned in VA national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains.

#9 - Headstones for burial space in a private ceremony must be requested.
At no charge to the family, the VA will provide a government headstone or marker for the grave of a deceased eligible veteran.  An Application for Standard Government Headstone or Marker for Installation in a Private or State Veteran’s Cemetery (VA Form 40-1330) must be submitted. 

#10 - Replacement military service medals or awards must be requested in writing.
The next of kin is able to ask for replacements of awards or decorations. If the veteran is still alive, they must provide their signed authorization in order to allow family members to ask for replacements.


Understanding the benefits that your veteran is eligible for ensures that they get the kind of burial that fully acknowledges their service to their country.

Original Article: agingcare.com