VETERAN SERVICES

Bass & Gasper Funeral Home believes the story of every veteran's life deserves and should be shared. We are deeply committed to providing families with exceptional veterans services and can assist you in securing military burial benefits. When it comes time for you to make arrangements for the veteran in your life, know that our staff is both qualified, honored and committed to providing them with the military honors they deserve.

When arranging for veterans' burial services, you can rely on us to complete all the necessary paperwork involved in obtaining the military death and burial benefits that are available. These can include:

• * Burial Flag
• * Headstone or Marker
• * Burial in a National or State Veterans Administration Cemetery
• * Presidential Memorial Certificate

The rendering of Military Funeral Honors for an eligible veteran, free of charge, is mandated by law. An honor guard detail for the burial of an eligible veteran shall consist of not less than two members of the Armed Forces. One member of the detail shall be a representative of the parent Service of the deceased veteran. The honor detail will, at a minimum, perform a ceremony that includes the folding and presenting of the American flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps. When available taps will be played by a bugler, however there are so few buglers available that the military services may choose to provide an electronic recording of taps. The veteran's parent Service representative will present the flag.

FUNERAL HONORS ELIGIBILITY

• * Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
• * Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
• * Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
• * Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.

VERIFYING ELIGIBILITY

The preferred method for verifying eligibility is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. If the DD Form 214 is not available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD Form 214 may be obtained by requesting it online from the National Archives.

Contact us at The Bass & Gasper Funeral Home and we can work together to make this a memorable service.

For families who have chosen cremation for a loved one, the next decision involves what to do with the remains. Some choose to keep the cremated remains in their home, have them placed in a columbarium niche at a local cemetery, or scatter the ashes in a meaningful place.

Cremation provides families with more time to arrange where and how to scatter the ashes. While there is no policing agency overseeing scattering, there are some basics you should know:

• * If you plan on scattering ashes on private property, it's smart to receive written permission from the owner.
• * Public parks require that you obtain a scattering permit.
• * There are no regulations regarding ash scattering on uncontrolled public lands; you need to use your own judgment.
• * You should not scatter ashes within 100 yards of public roads or trails.
• * The cremation container must be disposed of separately and in an environmentally-safe manner.
• * Scattering ashes in inland waters is governed by the Clean Water Act so it's important to obtain a permit from the agency that oversees waterways.
• * Ash scattering at sea must be done at a minimum of three nautical miles from the coastline.
• * Any flowers or wreaths used in the ash scattering ceremony held at sea must decompose. No plastic flowers or other non-decomposable items should be left behind.
• * For ash scattering done at sea, the Environmental Protection Agency requires that you notify the regional office in writing within 30 days after the event.

How to Scatter Ashes

Cremated remains bear little resemblance to ashes; they look and behave a lot like small-grained gravel. However, there are some fine-grains mixed in so be sure to check the wind direction before scattering into the air or a body of water.

The technique of trenching is another option. Dig a small trench in the location of your choice, place the remains (or a biodegradable urn containing the ashes) within, and cover with soil.

Raking is another technique used. Pour the remains on the surface of the soil and use a rake to mix the ashes.

You may also wish to check out our selection of scattering urns prior to making plans for your ceremony. Ffeel free to call us at The Bass & Gasper Funeral Home for any assistance we can provide.