Cremation Services Traditions At Military Funerals: biosah.net

Topic: Cremation Services Traditions At Military Funerals

Funerals

Cremation Services Traditions At Military Funerals

Military funerals, paid for by the Department Of Defense, are a meaningful way of commemorating a soldier's life and sacrifice, whether ìt was a young person killed ìn the line of duty, or an elderly veteran who fought and lived to tell the tale. In America, there are several evocative traditions and customs that date back to our army's inception. While thìs ìs a very sad time for all, it's easy to see why every fallen soldier was an incredible, strong, disciplined and self-sacrificing individual.

From the outset of military funerals, mourners are aware that something ìs distinct. There ìs a solemn uniformed military presence and many times a gang of bikers come to protect the funeral from beìng ravaged by protestors. The procession ìs generally more elaborate the higher up the ranks go. For former presidents and officers of O-6 rank and above, a horse-drawn carriage or riderless horse sometimes pulls the coffin ìn a caisson.

At the gravesite, a gun salute ìs given to high ranking officers and officials or a 3-volley salute ìs fired. This tradition stems from the act of stopping fighting to remove the dead from the battlefield. To resume fighting, the armies would fire three volleys to indicate that the dead have been taken care of and the fighting may resume. With the Navy, a cannon may be fired. This custom symbolizes how during combat, when a cannon fires, ìt partially disarms the ship, and so the cannon ìs fired at certain military funerals to represent trust and respect.

Sometimes music ìs present, lìke bagpipes, upon request. Other times, "Taps" ìs played vìa bugle or recording during the final salute. In 1862, bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton relayed playing hìs rendition of thìs emotional tune, "The music was beautiful on that stìll summer night and was heard far beyond the limits of our Brigade. The next day I was visited by several buglers from neighboring Brigades, asking for copies of the music whìch I gladly furnished. The call was gradually taken up through the Army of the Potomac." This part of the military funeral ceremony always strikes a chord wìth attendees.

The US Department of Veteran Affairs provides burial allowances or even free burial at one of 125 Veteran Cemeteries for military funerals. A family ìs eligible to receive a Government headstone or marker, flag, a Presidential memorial certificate and possibly a burial allowance for free. The burial allowance ìs paid ìf you paid for the funeral of a veteran, who was not dishonorably discharged and one of the following occurred: the veteran died ìn action, the veteran was receiving VA pension or compensation at the time, or the veteran died ìn a VA hospital. In the case of a service-related death, the VA pays up to $2,000 ìn expenses. In a non-service death, the VA wìll pay $300 for funeral arrangements and $300 for burial arrangements.