Sea Burial for Veterans: Nature's Passage gives veterans and their families an option to be buried at sea with 'military honors.'
Coordination with VA for your Veteran’s Burial at Sea
Here’s how you can have the best of both -- a VA full military honors funeral, ‘inurnment’ in a National Cemetery and a burial at sea and receive all the Veterans benefits due to you and your family!
Remember, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not perform burials at sea … they will refer you to a U.S. Navy, Mortuary Officer. But, if you desire to participate in the sea burial ceremony of your veteran and insure your loved one will be buried at sea in a location that you select, then your choice for burial at sea will be Nature’s Passage … not the Navy.
Become familiar with the information found on the Veterans Affairs website. Go to Nature’s Passage web site’s Community Portal: Click on Veterans Affairs link
Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): 1-800-827-1000. Be advised, the VA will only communicate with the next of kin or surrogate of the deceased veteran. Have in hand, your veteran’s DD Form 214 (Record of Military Service), Medical Records, Social Security information, Death Certificate and marriage license.
Request to coordinate arrangements for a Veteran’s funeral. Inform the VA you desire your veteran to be “Inurned”-- a VA term used to indicate the space in a VA cemetery set aside for the burial of containers of cremated remains.
Coordinate with the VA’s burial and death benefits office. Speak to a VA counselor and submit formal paperwork applying for all possible benefits you and your veteran qualify. It is helpful to have a copy of your veteran’s medical records. Don’t forget to coordinate for “Spousal Benefits.” That’s money the VA owes you!
Ask the VA for a funeral home and or crematory in the vicinity of your home that will work in coordination with the VA facility you have selected.
Make sure you coordinate with your funeral director to arrange for the transfer all or some of your veteran’s ashes into two (2) containers or urns. One for your veteran’s in ground inurnment at the VA cemetery and the second for your veteran’s burial at sea performed by Nature’s Passage.
Select the National Cemetery you desire for the inurnment of your veteran. There are 124 National Cemeteries to choose from!
Ask for a Grave Marker, crafted at no cost to you, to identify your veterans’ ‘inurnment’ site. The grave marker you ordered will be placed upon the top of the ‘inurnment’ site. It will have the following inscriptions: Name, rank, date of birth, date of death.
Request procedures for obtaining an American ‘burial’ flag and also request a Presidential Memorial Certificate.
Request a Funeral with ‘Full Military Honors’ be performed by a military color guard at your veteran’s inurnment site in the VA cemetery. The burial detail will bury a container containing a portion of your veteran’s ashes.
Very important! Remember to request your funeral director prepare two (2) containers: one container for in ground inurnment in the VA cemetery and the other container of ashes will be buried at sea by Nature’s Passage.
Now… it’s time to call Nature’s Passage to finalize your plans for your veteran’s burial at sea!
Call 1-888-551-1277.
I am proud to say, like millions of Americans, "I'm a veteran." I served in the U.S. Army for over 25 years. Although my military service encompassed a huge part of my life, I don't wish to be buried in a National cemetery. I'm not alone in this. Most don't realize this fact, but the vast majority of veterans, almost 75%, are not buried in National cemeteries, but are laid-to-rest in private cemeteries, most receiving very little, if any, benefits or compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, about 35% of veterans are cremated upon their death, while less than 3.5% make arrangements for burial at sea.
Nature's Passage gives veterans and their families an option to be buried at sea with 'military honors.' We coordinate with the Department of Veterans Affairs to insure a veteran's family receives all benefits, guidance and assistance rightfully due.
As a testimonial for a veteran's service, Nature's Passage grants a discount of 10% to 15% from the normal cost of a sea burial ceremony.
It is common for a veteran's family not to spend a penny on the interment of their veteran and in some cases, see a significant gain from the benefits paid by the VA and the grant donated by Nature's Passage.
Burial services at sea provided by Nature's Passage :
- Cremated remains spread at sea
- Cremated remains -- urn submersion
- Full-body casketed submersion
- Full-body casketed submersion -- wrapped in sail cloth
- 'Military' honors funeral at sea
- Coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Veterans 'Roll of Honor'. A virtual obituary of those buried at sea by Nature's Passage who wish to be remembered in this manner. Text and photos provided by the veteran's family.
- Provides, at no cost, the commemorative American flag used during the ceremony.
Is there any special consideration given to a military combat veteran who desires to be buried at sea?
Yes!! This is a hallmark of our business ! We have the utmost respect for our departed veterans. Our ceremonies honor their lives and the sacrifices they made for our nation. Our memorial services are testimonials to those gallant men and women who served this nation with grace and dignity. It is our duty to produce and perform a formal memorial ceremony to honor their service.
We honor our departed servicemen and women by granting significant discounts.
10% discount granted to honorably discharged or retired veterans.
15% discount granted to wartime* veterans.
*Wartime : WW ll, 1941-45; Korea, 1950-53; Vietnam, 1962-73; Iraq, 1991-1992; Iraq & Afghanistan, 2003 to present.
We train our staff to the highest level of efficiency. The ship's Captain officiates all military interment ceremonies and insures all ship's personnel perform with military precision while paying strict attention to the traditions and protocol of U.S. Navy burial at sea ceremonies.
To qualify for the appropriate grant for military/wartime service, please include evidence of your veteran's service records (DD Form 214) when you send us your signed contract and payment in-full. If you have any questions regarding service records, etc., call us at 1-888-551-1277 and we'll do the very best to find ways you can qualify for our grants.
Veterans Wife: “Follow Me” Burial Trust Plan
It is common knowledge that many wives out-live their husbands. In our case, a veteran’s wife might live alone for many years after the death of her husband. What becomes of her when she passes on?
We’re especially concerned about the wife of a veteran who has been buried at sea. What must she do if she wishes to ‘follow’ him?
Nature’s Passage will attend to the wives of veterans whose husbands have been buried at sea by performing a burial at sea ceremony for her at a 15% discount.
My soul is full of whispered song;
My blindness is my sight;
The shadows that I feared so long
Are all alive with light.
~ Alice Cary, "Dying Hymn"
Nature's Passage Burial at Sea Service
Performing burials and 'military' memorial services at sea.
Subsidiary of : SeaServices.com
Phone: 1-888-551-1277
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