Oregon Veteran Burial and Memorial Benefits

This entry exists to record an absence, because the absence is what a family needs to know. Oregon does not operate a state veterans cemetery. Most states in this catalog do, often with free or nearly free interment for the veteran and a modest fee for a dependent. ODVA's own burial guidance is entirely about federal programs and points to Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. A family planning a burial in Oregon should be working with the National Cemetery Administration and a funeral director, not looking for a state program that does not exist. That is less of a loss than it sounds, because Oregon is served by several VA national cemeteries rather than one. Interment in a national cemetery is provided at no cost to the family for an eligible veteran, and that covers the gravesite, opening and closing, a government headstone or marker, and perpetual care. Eligible spouses and dependent children may be buried in the same gravesite. The federal benefits ODVA directs Oregon families to are worth listing, because several go unclaimed: A burial allowance reimburses part of funeral and burial costs. It is paid at a flat rate that depends on whether the death was service-connected and whether VA was providing hospital care at the time. Claim it with an Application for Burial Allowance, a certified death certificate, the DD-214, and itemized invoices or receipts. A burial flag is furnished at no cost for a veteran discharged honorably, and for others whose service meets certain conditions. A national, state, or post cemetery provides it automatically; for a private cemetery the funeral director requests it, usually from a post office. The law allows only one flag per veteran. A headstone or marker is provided for an unmarked grave in any cemetery anywhere in the world, regardless of date of death. For a grave already marked privately, VA can supply a supplemental headstone or a bronze medallion to affix to the existing stone, for a veteran who died on or after November 1, 1990. The stone itself is free, but the cost of setting it in a private cemetery falls to the family. Spouses and dependents get a government marker only if buried in a national, state, or military cemetery. A Presidential Memorial Certificate is available on request, and burial at sea aboard a Navy vessel is an option for veterans, retirees, and their dependent family members, though family cannot be present. Military funeral honors are arranged free of charge through the funeral director and provide at minimum two uniformed service members, the playing of Taps, and the folding and presentation of the flag. ODVA and County or Tribal Veteran Service Officers will help assemble these claims, which is the practical reason to call them even though the benefits are federal.