FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com MAY 23, 2013 • THE QUEENS COURIER 43 SUMMARY OF VETERANS BENEFITS BY PAUL RUDOLPH, JR. Walker Funeral Home The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a wide range of benefi ts to our Nations Veterans and their families. In order to receive VA benefi ts certain criteria must be met. A veteran must have been honorably discharged and had at least one day of active service. Burial in a National Cemetery- Veterans, their spouses, and dependant children are eligible for burial in a national cemetery at no cost to the family. This includes a marker for the grave and a concrete grave liner for the casket. Please note if a veteran is not buried in a national cemetery, the veteran’s family could be eligible for a plot allowance reimbursement of up to $300 dollars. Please contact the VA when applying for this benefi t. Reimbursement of Burial Expenses- A burial allowance may be paid to help offset expenses of the veteran’s funeral and burial. The allowance is payable to someone who died with a service connected disability, were in receipt of compensation, or received a pension/ retired pay. The family of a deceased veteran may also receive partial reimbursement if they died in a VA facility. Please note the family must apply for this benefi t with the VA to be reimbursed. The forms required are: 1. 21-530, Application for burial allowance; 2. DD214- Military proof of service form; 3. One certifi ed copy of a death certifi cate; and 4. Copies of funeral/burial bills. Headstone or Marker- The VA provides a headstone or marker for veterans buried in any cemetery worldwide. Flag- An American Flag is provided to drape the casket or accompany the urn of an eligible veteran. The fl ag is presented to the veteran’s next of kin upon burial. Presidential Memorial Certifi cates- Family and other loved ones may request these personalized certifi cates. You or your funeral director must obtain VA Form 40-0247 to apply for these certifi - cates. Military Forces Honor Guard- New York State in July of 1999 established a program where honorable discharged veterans are eligible for Funeral Honors. This is of no cost to families and funeral directors. If desired please inform your funeral director at the time of arrangements. The above info is a brief description of Veterans benefi ts. The VA has a wide range of additional information. You can contact them at 800-827- 1000 or go to their website www.va.gov for further questions. Walker Funeral Home has the applications, pamphlets and other forms available if you need to apply for any of the above benefi ts. We can also assist you if you have any further questions. Burials at Sea on the USS Arizona (Sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941) BY BONNIE MCCULLOUGH The tradition of burial at sea is an ancient one. As far as anyone knows this has been a practice as long as people have gone to sea. Many burials at sea took place as recently as World War II when naval forces operated at sea for weeks and months at a time. Since World War II, many service members, veterans, and family members have chosen to be buried at sea. One of the most unusual burials at sea takes place aboard the famed USS Arizona. This magnifi cent battle ship took a direct hit from a Japanese torpedo – dropped from a plane – which caused the ship to explode in a massive inferno that killed many of her crew in just a few seconds. When the Arizona sank, the remainder of the 1,177 sailors on board were trapped below deck to be entombed forever in the ship they loved since that fateful day in 1941 that made America’s entry into World War II inevitable. In 1982, the fi rst interment of a survivor of the attack took place at the ship. Some survivors are cremated, and the cremains are scattered directly over the water covering the ship. Other survivors have chosen to have their cremains placed into a special urn, which is then carried under water by Navy divers, to be placed in the ship’s gun turret #4. The site of these burials is the USS Arizona Memorial, an elegant white stone structure arching over the battleship, which rose from a wartime desire to establish some sort of memorial at Pearl Harbor to honor those who died in the attack. Suggestions for such a memorial began in 1943, but it wasn’t until 1949, when the Territory of Hawaii established the Pacifi c War Memorial Commission, that the fi rst real steps were taken to bring it about. The memorial was fi nally dedicated in 1962. Funeral services conducted around the Arizona consist of a full military funeral, which is held on the memorial. The funeral is a private event intended only for family, guests and Pearl Harbor survivors. In recent years, a retired U.S. Navy chaplain who is also a Pearl Harbor survivor has offi ciated at the services. The Navy or Marine Corps provide a rifl e honor guard and a bugler. These funerals are a tribute to the bond that developed among the seamen who served aboard the Arizona: even after all these years, they wished to join their fellow shipmates who rest for all eternity beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor. (Research from USS Arizona, published by St. Martin’s press and www.history.navy.mil/faqs.) Bonnie McCullough is executive director of the New York State Funeral Directors Association.
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