By Larry Dandridge
According to the VA web page at https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/eligibility/, veterans, service members, spouses, and dependents who meet one of these requirements may be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery and other benefits.
- The person is a veteran who did not receive a dishonorable discharge; or
- The person is a service member who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training; or
- The person is the spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran (even if they remarried after the veteran’s death); or
- The person is a minor child of a veteran (even if the veteran died first) or, in some cases, the unmarried adult dependent child of a veteran.
U.S. citizens who served in the Armed Forces of any government allied with the United States during a war
A U.S. citizen who served in the Armed Forces of a U.S. ally during wartime may be eligible if:
- The service member ended their last active service honorably by death or otherwise; and
- The service member was a U.S. citizen at the time they entered their last active service and at the time of their death.
Members of Reserve components or the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
A National Guard or Reserve member may be eligible if they meet any of these requirements:
- They met their legal minimum active-duty service requirements, were called up to active duty and served their full term of service, and did not receive a dishonorable discharge; or
- They were entitled to retirement pay at their time of death, or would have been entitled to retirement pay if they were not under 60 years of age at the time of death; or
- They died while hospitalized or getting treatment at the expense of the U.S. for an injury or illness that occurred while they were performing active-duty services for training or inactive-duty training under honorable conditions; or
- They became disabled or died from a disease or injury caused or made worse by their service during a period of active duty for training; or
- They became disabled or died from an injury or certain cardiovascular disorders caused or made worse by their service during a period of inactive-duty training.
A Reserve Officers’ Training Corps member may be eligible if they meet any of these requirements:
- Died under honorable conditions while attending an authorized training camp or on an authorized cruise; or
- Died under honorable conditions while performing authorized travel to or from a training camp or cruise; or
- Died under honorable conditions while hospitalized or getting treatment at the expense of the USA for an injury or illness that occurred while they were attending or traveling to a training camp or cruise under honorable conditions.
Commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration commissioned officer may be eligible if they meet any of these requirements:
- Served on full-time duty on or after July 29, 1945; or
- Served before July 29, 1945, and was assigned to an area of immediate military hazard (as determined by the Secretary of Defense while in time of war or by a national emergency as declared by the president); or
- Served in the Philippines on December 7, 1941, and continued to serve there until death.
Commissioned officers of the Public Health Service
A Public Health Service commissioned officer may be eligible if they meet at least one of these requirements:
1. Served on full-time duty on or after July 29, 1945. If their service was considered active duty for training, they must have become disabled or died from a disease or injury caused or made worse by their service.
2. Performed full-time duty before July 29, 1945:
- In times of war; or
- On detail for duty with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard; or
- While a part of the military forces of the U.S., by executive order of the president.
3. Served on inactive-duty training, and their death resulted from an injury caused or made worse by their service.
World War II Merchant Mariners
A WWII *Merchant Mariner may be eligible if they meet one of these requirements:
- Had oceangoing service during the period of armed conflict from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1945; or
- Had oceangoing service during the period of armed conflict from December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, and died after November 11, 1998; or
- Served on blockships in support of Operation Mulberry during WWII.
* To get a DD214 documenting Merchant Mariner service, mail an application to: Commandant (G-MVP-6), United States Coast Guard, 2100 2nd Street, SW, Washington, DC 20593.
Philippine armed forces veterans
A Philippine armed forces veteran may be eligible if they meet these requirements:
- Was a citizen of the USA or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the USA at the time of their death; and
- Was residing in the USA at the time of their death.
And one of these must be true:
- Served before July 1, 1946, in the Philippine military (including recognized guerrilla forces), while these forces were in the service of the Armed Forces of the USA, and died on or after November 1, 2000; or
- Enlisted between October 6, 1945, and June 30, 1947, with the USA Armed Forces with the consent of the Philippine government and died on or after December 16, 2003.
Hmong individuals
There are two bases for determining eligibility for individuals who died on or after March 23, 2018, resided in the USA at the time of death, and were either:
- Naturalized under Section 2(1) of the Hmong Veterans’ Naturalization Act of 2000; or
- Served honorably with a special guerilla unit or irregular forces operating from a base in Laos in support of the Armed Forces at any time between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, and at the time of the individual’s death, the individual was residing in the U.S. and either as a citizen of the U.S. or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States.
Next week’s article will cover groups not eligible for burial in a National Cemetery and other helpful information.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at his local VA Hospital, a Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the past VP for Veteran Affairs for his local Association of the US Army (AUSA) and Military Officer Association Chapters. Larry is also the author of the award-winning Blades of Thunder (Book One) and a contributing freelance writer with The Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
