Burial flags are provided for Veterans and Reservists at no cost. To receive one, follow these steps:
1) Confirm eligibility
- Served in wartime, or
- Died while serving on active duty after May 27, 1941, or
- Served after January 31, 1955, or
- Served in peacetime and left military service before June 27, 1950, after serving at least 1 enlistment, or because of a disability that was caused—or made worse—by their active military service, or
- Served in the Selected Reserves (in certain cases) or served in the military forces of the Philippines while in service of the United States
2) Fill out application:
- Fill out the Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes (VA Form 27-2008)
- Gather discharge papers
3) Bring these documents to:
- A funeral director, or
- A VA regional benefit office (to find one, click here), or
- A United States post office. Call ahead to make sure your local post office has burial flags
4) Take care of your flag
- To protect the flag from weather damage, don’t leave it outside for long periods of time
- Find out how to display and fold the flag here
- The Veteran’s family can also donate the flag to a national cemetery that has an Avenue of Flags so that it can be flown on patriotic holidays
- They won’t replace flags that are lost, destroyed, or stolen, but some Veterans organizations may be able to help if something happens to the flag they gave you
