Honor & Memorial Resources

Ways to Honor, Remember & Support Those Who Served

🕊ī¸ A curated guide to wreath sponsorship, Honor Flight, military funeral honors, survivor support, and memorial benefits — for veterans, families, and anyone who wants to give back.
Section 1

🎄 Wreath Sponsorship & Cemetery Honors

Every December, hundreds of thousands of volunteers lay wreaths on veteran graves at Arlington and 3,400+ participating cemeteries nationwide. You can sponsor a wreath in honor of a specific service member, or volunteer locally.

🎄 Wreaths Across America

Sponsor a wreath (~$17) to be laid at a veteran's grave on National Wreaths Across America Day each December. Choose a specific cemetery or let the program place the wreath where it's needed.

wreathsacrossamerica.org →

💐 Ava's Flowers — Military Wreaths Guide

A plain-English guide to military wreath etiquette, ordering ceremonial flowers, and veteran-support orgs. Helpful for families planning a funeral or anyone sending sympathy flowers.

avasflowers.net →

đŸ‡ē🇸 Flags Across the Nation

Sponsor a small American flag to be placed at a veteran's grave for Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and other key dates.

flags program →

🏛ī¸ Find a National Cemetery

Locate any of the 155+ VA national cemeteries — schedule a visit, plan a burial, or arrange a memorial service.

cem.va.gov →
Section 2

✈ī¸ Honor Flight & Memorial Travel

Programs that fly senior veterans — at no cost — to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. Priority is given to WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam veterans, plus any veteran with a terminal illness.

🛩ī¸ Honor Flight Network

The original program — free flights for senior veterans to the WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and other memorials in DC. 130+ regional hubs.

honorflight.org →

🎖ī¸ Patriot Guard Riders

Volunteer motorcycle escorts at military funerals — at the family's invitation — to honor fallen service members and shield families from disruptors.

patriotguard.org →
Section 3

💛 Survivor & Family Support

Resources for the families left behind — grief support, scholarships, and long-term care for survivors of fallen and disabled service members.

🤍 TAPS

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. 24/7 grief support, peer mentors, and an annual National Military Survivor Seminar for families of fallen service members.

taps.org →

🎓 Folds of Honor

Educational scholarships for the spouses and children of America's fallen and disabled service members. 50,000+ scholarships awarded.

foldsofhonor.org →

🐕 America's VetDogs

Trained service dogs at no cost for veterans living with PTSD, blindness, hearing loss, or seizure disorders. Also serves Gold Star families.

vetdogs.org →
Section 4

đŸŽē Military Funeral Honors

Every eligible veteran has the right to military funeral honors — at minimum, two uniformed service members, a flag-folding ceremony, the presentation of the flag, and the playing of Taps.

1
The funeral home contacts the appropriate military branch on your behalf to request honors. Funeral homes do this routinely.
2
Provide a DD-214 (discharge papers) so the branch can confirm eligibility. If the DD-214 is missing, the funeral home can help request a copy from the National Archives.
3
Optional: request Patriot Guard Riders, a 21-gun salute (when available), or a chaplain through the funeral home.
4
File VA Form 21P-530 for the burial allowance, VA Form 40-1330 for a free government headstone, and VA Form 27-2008 for the burial flag — see our Burial Benefits guide.
Cost: Military funeral honors and the burial flag are free. National cemetery burial, headstones, and Presidential Memorial Certificates are also free. The family is responsible only for private cemetery costs, transportation, and any items beyond what the VA provides.
Section 5

📅 Days to Remember

đŸ‡ē🇸 Memorial Day — last Monday in May. Honors all U.S. service members who died in service.
🎖ī¸ Veterans Day — November 11. Honors all veterans, living and deceased.
⚓ Armed Forces Day — third Saturday in May. Honors all currently serving members.
🎄 National Wreaths Across America Day — third Saturday in December.
⭐ Gold Star Mother's & Family's Day — last Sunday in September.
đŸĒ– POW/MIA Recognition Day — third Friday in September.
Section 6

🔗 Related VetClaimHQ Resources

⚰ī¸ Burial Benefits Guide →
Allowances, national cemetery, headstones, flags, and how to apply.
🛡ī¸ Life Insurance Guide →
SGLI, VGLI, SDVI, and VALife — what survivors should know.
🤝 Aid & Attendance →
Pension-based benefits for surviving spouses needing care.
💙 Caregiver Support →
PCAFC stipends and resources for family caregivers.
🌐 Veteran Resources →
Curated directory of national veteran service organizations.
🏠 Homeless Veteran Programs →
HUD-VASH, SSVF, Grant & Per Diem, and how to get help fast.
Section 7

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

A: Visit wreathsacrossamerica.org, search for the cemetery, and sponsor a wreath in the veteran's name. Sponsorship is around $17 per wreath; bulk sponsorships are also available.

A: Yes. By federal law, every eligible veteran is entitled to free military funeral honors — including a flag-folding ceremony, presentation of the flag, and the playing of Taps. The funeral home arranges this with the relevant military branch.

A: Apply through a local Honor Flight hub (130+ nationwide). Priority goes to WWII, Korean, and Vietnam veterans, plus any veteran with a terminal illness. The flight, hotel, and meals are free for the veteran. A "Guardian" can accompany the veteran for a fee.

A: A Gold Star family is the immediate family of a service member who died while serving in a time of conflict. Specific federal benefits include DIC (Dependency & Indemnity Compensation), Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance, and Gold Star ID cards.

A: No. We curate these resources because we believe veterans and their families should know about them. We receive no payment, referral fee, or compensation from any organization listed on this page.