Military Funeral Entitlements

Maine Veterans are entitled to Military Funeral Honors

Military Funeral Honors is now an entitlement for all honorably discharged

Veterans. There are no costs what so ever associated with this program.

The rendering of Military Funeral Honors for United States Armed Forces

Veterans is a tribute that our Veterans and their families justly deserve and

in fact, are now entitled to. It is a way to show our Nation's deep gratitude

to those who, in times of war and peace, have faithfully defended our

country. Section 578 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal

year 2000 requires the Department of Defense to provide, upon request,

Military Funeral Honors for eligible Veterans.

The Maine Military Funeral Honors Program began performing Military Funeral

Honors Ceremonies for Maine's Veterans in late 2004. Since it's inception,

we have performed over 2300 ceremonies from Fort Kent to Kittery and eastern

Canada.

According to the Maine Veteran's Administration, Maine is loosing nearly 4000

Veterans a year, (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army Air

Corps and Merchant Marines). This rate is expected to continue with very

slow reductions through the year 2030.

Any person, Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve and Merchant Marines, who

received an honorable discharge is now entitled to an appropriate Military

Funeral Honors Ceremony performed by US Military active duty service members.

Before the law passed, many Veterans did not receive a Military Funeral

Honors Ceremony or acknowledgement and appreciation for their service to

their country. The Maine Military Funeral Honors Team is prepared to right

this wrong by providing appropriate Military Honors to any honorably

discharged Veteran who was not honored at the time of death. A family member

need only call and request this service.

Standards: The currently serving, US Military members of the Maine Military

Funeral Honors Team are trained to the highest possible standards. Military

Funeral Honors is their full time duty. The Service Members selected to

perform these ceremonies for Maine's Veterans are extremely proud of what

they are doing. They have the utmost respect and admiration for those who

served before them.

We have 6 Military Funeral Honors Trainers on the team who have all attended

a 2 week course and have been certified as instructors by Arlington National

Cemetery. Veterans of Maine will receive a Military Funeral Honors Ceremony

performed to the same high standard as those ceremonies being performed at

Arlington National Cemetery. Maine Veterans deserve no less than perfection.

I strongly encourage all Veterans residing in Maine to allow these dedicated

members of the United States Military to perform this ceremony and to simply

express our appreciation for their dedicated service to our country.

Whenever individuals decide to join the Armed Forces of the United States

they promise to put themselves between the people of the United States and

those who would harm us. To honor this promise and sacrifice, we are

committed to doing all that we can to support our Veterans & the families of

those Veterans.

For more information about the Maine Military Funeral Honors Program or

Military Funeral Honors in general, Families and Veterans may visit our web

site at www.funeralhonors.org or call the State Coordinator in Augusta at

1-800-958-5967 toll free.

Mr. Frank R. Norwood

Maine Military Funeral Honors Coordinator

Office toll free: 1-800-958-5967

Office: 207-626-7822