Instructions for Obtaining Military Funeral Honors

• The Department of Defense program states that the director of the funeral home is responsible for requesting military funeral honors on behalf of the veteran's family, thereby relieving distraught family members of the worry associated with coordinating the ceremony. The Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration can also assist with arranging the honors, especially if the burial is to take place at a national VA cemetery. Family members may also contact local veterans associations if further assistance is required.
  
  

Proper Display of the Burial Flag

• If the burial flag is covering the closed casket of the veteran, the flag is to be placed in alignment with the position of the body. The "Union," or field of blue of stars, must be placed over the veteran's head and left shoulder. When the casket is in the half-open position, this is defined as the half-couch. If this is the case, the burial flag should be folded into thirds, with the outermost fold displaying the field of blue stars next to the open portion of the casket on the veteran's left side. A casket displayed in the fully open position is referred to as the full-couch. In this situation, the flag should be folded into a triangle so that only the Union is visible. The flag should then be placed in the center of the casket's lid, directly above the left shoulder of the deceased.
  
  

The Graveside Ceremony

• The burial flag must never be allowed to touch the ground, nor should it ever be lowered into the ground with the casket. Again, if funeral honors were requested through the Department of Defense, at least two military personnel should be present and able to assist with the proper procedure. The flag must first be lifted from the casket and held waist-high by the pallbearers. The flag must then remain in this position for the playing of taps. After the final note of taps has been played, the flag should be folded into the proper triangle, showing the field of blue stars. The folded flag is then presented to the veteran's next of kin along with the spoken words, "On behalf of a grateful nation." The flag then becomes the property of the veteran's family.