Veterans burial flag

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