Honoring Veterans

Veteran Gardens

Veteran Gardens are reserved for honored veterans and their families at most cemeteries. At Cemetery Property Resales, finding the perfect spot to honor your family member with a veteran funeral service is our priority; we find it a privilege to help veterans select their final resting place among others who served our country.


“Veterans selling their ground spaces or cremation niches keep their prices low because they know a fellow vet will be the new owner,” said Terry Arellano, CEO of Cemetery Property Resales. “We have a tremendous selection with hundreds of spaces to choose from with prices a fraction of the cemetery prices today.”

Eligibility

People who served in the military for any period are considered veterans and eligible to purchase in 15 reserved Veteran Gardens at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo. A replica of the Winged Victory statue from Arlington National Cemetery graces the veteran cremation area overlooking the garden with spectacular Pacific Ocean views.

Veteran spaces are also available at Los Gatos Memorial Park in San Jose, Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park in Hayward, Rolling Hills Memorial Park in Richmond, Memory Garden in Livermore, and many other Bay Area cemeteries.

See in the list below who has eligibility to buy a spot at a veteran garden and have a military funeral ceremony:

  • Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
  • Former military members who served on active duty and departed under honorable conditions.
  • Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under honorable conditions.
  • Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
  • Eligibility may be verified by the veteran’s DD-214, discharge papers, military ID card, any other documents showing service record.

Veteran Burial Benefits

Along with coordinating veteran funeral services and the military funeral honors that come along with them, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can help veterans and their families to plan and pay for the military funeral or memorial service. We recommend you contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to arrange for:


  • A Presidential Memorial Certificate: This certificate expresses our country’s recognition of the veteran's service. The veteran's name is inscribed on the certificate, and it bears the president's signature.
  • Headstones or markers: The VA provides headstones and markers for the graves of veterans anywhere in the world and for eligible dependents of veterans buried in national, state, or military cemeteries.
  • Veteran Burial Benefits: Some families may receive a reimbursement of burial expenses. To see if you qualify, and to learn more about the different levels of potential reimbursement, please review the Guide to VA Burial Allowances

What to Expect at a Military Funeral?

At a military funeral of an eligible veteran, they are entitled to the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps by a bugler or recording. An honor guard detail that includes at least two members of the Armed Forces performs these specific honors. One of the members needs to be a representative from the military branch the veteran served in. This will be the person who presents the flag at the service.


Additional honors at a military funeral include: 

  • A three-volley rifle salute to represent duty, honor, and country
  • The U.S. flag draped over the casket
  • A final salute at the gravesite

Learn More

We know that fully understanding all the veteran burial benefits and veteran death benefits can be a little overwhelming at first. Please visit the following links for detailed information about the options available for honoring service members and other aspects of military funerals:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

In the main menu, click "VA Benefits and Health Care" and then "Burials and memorials."

Veterans' Funeral and Burial Benefits

This link includes helpful information from the Funeral Consumers Alliance.

Veterans