Veterans Service

Veterans Services

The men and women who served this country deserve to be honored when they die. At Stauffer-Breznik Funeral Home, we help families navigate military funeral honors, VA burial benefits, and the paperwork required to secure what veterans have earned through their service.

We have served veterans and their families in Ringtown, Shenandoah, Mahanoy City, and throughout Schuylkill County since 1951. Many of the families we work with have deep ties to military service—fathers and grandfathers who served in World War II and Korea, sons and daughters who deployed to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. We understand what these honors mean to families in our community, and we make sure nothing is overlooked.

A Marine salutes graves at a cemetery, wearing dress uniform, with white headwear and belt.

Military Funeral Honors

Federal law guarantees every eligible veteran the right to military funeral honors at no cost. At minimum, this includes two uniformed service members who fold and present the American flag to the next of kin while Taps is played.


Standard Honors Detail

Two or more members of the Armed Forces, with at least one representative from the veteran's branch of service. The detail folds the burial flag, presents it to the family, and plays Taps—either by a live bugler or a high-quality recording.


Full Military Honors

Available for certain veterans, full honors may include a casket team, firing party, color guard, and bugler. Eligibility depends on rank, years of service, and circumstances of death. We coordinate with the appropriate military branch to request the highest level of honors your loved one qualifies for.



Honor Guard and Pallbearers

Military personnel can serve as pallbearers if requested. Local veterans organizations—VFW posts, American Legion chapters—often provide additional honor guard members to supplement the official military detail.

We handle all coordination with the military, including scheduling and confirming the honors detail. You do not need to make these calls yourself.

VA Burial Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides several burial benefits for eligible veterans. These are separate from military funeral honors and require their own applications.


Burial Allowance

The VA provides a burial allowance to help cover funeral and burial costs. The amount depends on whether the death was service-related:

  • Service-connected death: Up to $2,000 toward burial expenses
  • Non-service-connected death: A set allowance toward burial and plot costs for veterans who were receiving VA pension or compensation

We help you determine eligibility and complete the required claim forms.


Plot Allowance

If the veteran is buried in a private cemetery rather than a national or state veterans cemetery, the VA may provide an allowance toward the cost of the plot. This is in addition to the burial allowance.


Headstone or Marker

The VA provides a headstone or grave marker at no charge for any eligible veteran buried in any cemetery—national, state, or private. Options include:

  • Flat granite or marble markers
  • Upright granite or marble headstones
  • Bronze niche markers for cremated remains in a columbarium
  • Flat bronze markers

If the veteran's grave is already marked with a private headstone, a medallion can be furnished to attach to the existing marker.

For burials in national or state veterans cemeteries, the cemetery orders the headstone directly. For private cemeteries, we help you submit the application. The headstone itself is free; setting fees at private cemeteries are the family's responsibility.



Presidential Memorial Certificate

  • A certificate signed by the current President expressing gratitude for the veteran's service. Multiple copies can be requested for family members. We include this in our application process.

Burial Flag

Every eligible veteran is entitled to a United States flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn. After the service, the flag is folded and presented to the next of kin.

The flag is provided at no cost through the VA. We obtain the flag on your behalf by completing VA Form 27-2008—you do not need to visit a VA office or post office yourself.

Flag Eligibility

  • Veterans who served during wartime
  • Veterans who died on active duty after May 27, 1941
  • Veterans who served after January 31, 1955
  • Certain members of the Selected Reserve
  • Peacetime veterans who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable

After the Service

The burial flag is meant as a keepsake for the family. It is made of cotton and not designed for outdoor display, as weather will damage it quickly. Some families choose to donate flags to the Avenue of Flags at VA national cemeteries, where they are flown on patriotic holidays.

Replacement flags are not available if lost or damaged. The law authorizes one flag per veteran.


National and State Veterans Cemeteries

Eligible veterans may be buried in a VA national cemetery or Pennsylvania state veterans cemetery at no cost for the grave, opening and closing, headstone, and perpetual care.


Eligibility

  • Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable
  • Service members who died on active duty
  • Spouses and dependent children of eligible veterans (may be buried in the same grave or an adjacent site)



Nearby Options

  • Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA (approximately 45 miles from Ringtown)
  • Fort Indiantown Gap includes both VA national cemetery and Pennsylvania state veterans sections
  • We handle scheduling and coordination with national and state cemeteries, including transportation arrangements and timing the committal service.

Who Is Eligible for Military Funeral Honors

Eligible

  • Active duty service members
  • Selected Reserve members
  • Former service members who served on active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable
  • Former Reserve members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of obligation and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable
  • Former Reserve members discharged due to a service-connected disability


Not Eligible

  • Individuals who were discharged under dishonorable conditions
  • Individuals who were ordered to report for induction but were not actually inducted
  • Individuals who were discharged from the Selected Reserve before completing one full term (unless for disability)
  • Individuals convicted of a capital crime with a sentence of death or life imprisonment



Proving Veteran Status

The preferred document is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. This form confirms service dates, branch, discharge status, and eligibility for benefits.

If you cannot locate the DD-214, we can help you request a copy from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Other acceptable documents include:

  • Discharge certificates
  • Separation documents
  • Military service records showing honorable service

Do not delay arrangements if you cannot find paperwork immediately. We can proceed with planning while records are being obtained.


What We Handle

When a veteran dies, families have enough to manage without navigating military and VA bureaucracy. We take care of:

  • Requesting and coordinating military funeral honors
  • Obtaining the burial flag
  • Filing for VA burial allowance and plot allowance
  • Applying for the government headstone or marker
  • Requesting Presidential Memorial Certificates
  • Coordinating with national or state veterans cemeteries
  • Arranging honor guard details from local veterans organizations
  • Ensuring all service insignia, medals, and military elements are properly incorporated into the service

You provide us with the discharge papers and tell us about your loved one's service. We handle the rest.