Making a Funeral Program for a Veteran

When the person who died served in the armed forces, the funeral often carries an extra layer of meaning. Military service may have shaped their whole life, or it may have been a few years they rarely spoke about. Either way, families usually want the program to honour that service accurately and respectfully – the right rank, the right branch, the right customs – without letting it overshadow the rest of who they were.

This guide explains how to include military service in a funeral program: how to find and list service details correctly, what military funeral honors involve and how to print them in the order of service, hymns and readings associated with each branch, and wording examples for the cover, life story and back page. It focuses mainly on the United States, with a section on UK and Commonwealth traditions.

Start with the service record

Accuracy matters a great deal in a veteran's program. Fellow veterans will notice an incorrect rank or unit, and listing a decoration the person did not receive – even by mistake – can cause real distress.

In the US, the key document is the DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), which lists branch, dates of service, rank at discharge, and decorations and awards. Many veterans kept a copy with their important papers. If the family cannot find it, the funeral director can often help request it, and it is also needed to arrange military funeral honors and veterans' burial benefits.

In the UK, service records are held by the relevant service, and families can apply for them; a veteran's own discharge papers or the details on their medals are often the quickest source.

From the record, note:

• Branch of service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force; or Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines)
• Highest rank held, or rank at retirement or discharge
• Dates of service
• Units, ships or squadrons, if the family wants to include them
• Theaters or conflicts served in
• Decorations and awards

Only include decorations that appear on the record. If in doubt, leave them out or describe service in general terms.

Military funeral honors in the United States

Eligible veterans are entitled to military funeral honors. The core elements set out by the Department of Defense are:

• At least two uniformed members of the armed forces present at the service, at least one from the veteran's own branch
• The folding and presentation of the United States flag to the next of kin
• The playing of Taps, by a bugler where available, or a ceremonial recording

Additional elements, such as a rifle volley, a color guard or pallbearers in uniform, are often provided by the honor guard or by local veterans service organizations. Honors for retired career service members and those who died on active duty may be more extensive.

Military funeral honors are requested through the funeral director, who contacts the appropriate military office. Allow time; the honor guard needs notice.

How the honors usually unfold

At a graveside committal, the sequence typically runs:

1. Arrival of the casket, carried by pallbearers
2. The committal service by the chaplain or officiant
3. A rifle volley (if provided) – traditionally three volleys
4. Taps
5. The folding of the flag by the honor guard
6. Presentation of the flag to the next of kin

When the flag is presented, the presenter kneels or bends before the next of kin and says words similar to: "On behalf of the President of the United States, the [branch], and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service."

If cremation has taken place, honors can still be rendered, with the flag displayed folded or draped near the urn.

Printing the honors in the program

Listing the honors helps guests – particularly younger family members and civilians – understand what is happening and when to stand. For example:

Committal Service – Chaplain (Maj.) Daniel Ruiz

Rifle Volley – American Legion Post 112 Honor Guard

Taps

Folding of the Flag

Presentation of the Flag to Mrs. Gloria Hill

A brief note can explain customs: "Guests are asked to stand for the rifle volley and Taps. Veterans may render a hand salute; others may place their right hand over their heart."

Order of service examples

Church service followed by graveside honors

Prelude

Posting of the Colors – VFW Post 2031 Color Guard

Hymn – "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" (the Navy Hymn)

Opening Prayer – Rev. Thomas Grant

Scripture – Psalm 91; John 15:13

Life Story – Michael Hill, son

Remembrances – SFC (Ret.) Alan Brooks, fellow soldier

Hymn – "Amazing Grace"

Message – Rev. Thomas Grant

Benediction

Retiring of the Colors

Committal with Military Honors – Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery

Funeral home service with honors in the chapel

Welcome

Reading – "Crossing the Bar," Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Life Story

Memories from family and friends

Moment of quiet reflection

Military Honors – Taps, folding and presentation of the flag

Closing words

Branch songs and hymns

Many families include the person's branch song or a related hymn, either sung, played or listed on the back page:

• Army: "The Army Goes Rolling Along"
• Navy: "Anchors Aweigh"; the Navy Hymn, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" (traditional and public domain)
• Marine Corps: "The Marines' Hymn" ("From the Halls of Montezuma")
• Air Force: "The U.S. Air Force" ("Off we go into the wild blue yonder"); "High Flight," the poem by John Gillespie Magee Jr., is often read
• Coast Guard: "Semper Paratus"
• Space Force: "Semper Supra"

"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" has verses adapted over the years for different services, including verses for aviators and for marines. It is widely sung at naval and veterans' funerals in the US and UK.

Some funerals close with a medley of all the service songs, inviting veterans present to stand when their branch's song is played. If you include this, a line in the program helps: "Veterans are invited to stand as the song of their branch is played."

Readings often chosen for veterans

• John 15:13 – "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (KJV)
• Psalm 91 – the "soldier's psalm," often read for those who served in combat
• Isaiah 6:8 – "Here am I; send me."
• 2 Timothy 4:7 – "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
• "Crossing the Bar" – Tennyson; a long-standing choice for sailors
• "High Flight" – John Gillespie Magee Jr.; for aviators
• "For the Fallen" – Laurence Binyon; the source of the Ode of Remembrance

See Bible verses for funeral programs and funeral poems for programs for more.

Listing rank and branch correctly

On the cover

Several styles are common:

• Formal with rank: "Sergeant First Class James Walter Hill, United States Army (Retired)"
• Abbreviated: "SFC James W. Hill, U.S. Army (Ret.)"
• Name first, service below: "James Walter Hill" with "U.S. Army · 1966–1988" beneath the dates
• Simple: "James Walter Hill · Veteran, U.S. Army"

For a person who served briefly decades ago and built a civilian life afterwards, many families prefer the simpler styles, with service mentioned in the life story. For a career service member, the formal style often feels right.

Abbreviations

Military rank abbreviations differ between branches – the same pay grade has different titles in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and the Navy and Coast Guard use their own abbreviations. If you abbreviate, use the official abbreviation for that branch, or write the rank out in full to avoid errors. "Retired" (Ret.) is used for those who completed a full career and retired from the service, not for everyone who was discharged.

Design

Families often choose a design in navy and gold, or include the American flag or the emblem of the person's branch. Official branch emblems and seals have rules on their use; a flag image, a simple star, or a patriotic colour palette is a straightforward alternative. Our Navy & Gold theme was designed with veterans' services in mind.

Writing about service in the life story

A few sentences, specific and factual, usually say more than general praise:

• "James enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1966 and served two tours in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division. He retired in 1988 as a Sergeant First Class after twenty-two years of service."
• "After high school, Dorothy joined the Navy and served as a radio operator in Pearl Harbor, an experience she spoke of with quiet pride for the rest of her life."
• "Bob served in the Air Force from 1970 to 1974, repairing aircraft engines – the start of a lifelong love of anything with a motor."

Many veterans rarely spoke about their service. If the family knows little, it is fine to say just that: "He served in the Marine Corps in Korea, though, like many of his generation, he seldom spoke of it."

Our obituary writer has a dedicated field for military service and works it naturally into the draft.

The back page

• A reading or poem
• Pallbearers, noting if they are members of the honor guard or fellow veterans
• Honorary pallbearers – often fellow veterans or members of a veterans' organization
• Interment details, including the cemetery (state or national veterans cemeteries are common)
• Acknowledgements – thanking the honor guard, the veterans' organizations, the VA or hospice staff
• Donations – veterans' charities are a frequent choice

Example acknowledgements:

• "The family thanks the Fort Bragg Funeral Honors Team and American Legion Post 112 for honoring James with such dignity."
• "We are grateful to the staff of the VA Medical Center for their care and respect."

UK and Commonwealth traditions

In the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, veterans' funerals have their own customs:

• The Last Post is played, usually followed by a silence and then Reveille (or, in Australia and New Zealand, The Rouse).
• The Exhortation – the verse from Laurence Binyon's "For the Fallen" beginning "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old" – is often recited, with those present responding "We will remember them."
• Standard bearers from the Royal British Legion, RSL (Australia), RSA (New Zealand) or Royal Canadian Legion may attend, lowering their standards during the Last Post.
• Medals are often displayed on the coffin, or worn on the right breast by family members.
• The Kohima Epitaph ("When you go home...") is sometimes printed or read.
• The coffin may be draped with the Union Flag or the national flag.

A UK order of service might include:

The Exhortation – read by Mr Peter Clarke, Royal British Legion

We will remember them.

The Last Post

One minute's silence

Reveille

See our UK order of service guide for the broader conventions.

Veterans' organizations

Local branches of veterans' service organizations – in the US, groups such as the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS and the Disabled American Veterans; in the UK, the Royal British Legion and regimental associations – often help with honor guards, standard bearers, or simply by attending in numbers. Contact them through the funeral director or directly. Their participation is often deeply meaningful to families.

Veterans' burial benefits that affect the program

In the US, several veterans' burial benefits can shape what goes on the back page, so it helps to ask the funeral director about them early:

• Burial in a VA national cemetery or a state veterans cemetery. Eligible veterans, and in many cases their spouses and dependents, may be buried in these cemeteries. If burial will be in one, the program lists the cemetery name, and committal services there are often held in a committal shelter rather than at the graveside – worth explaining so guests know where to go.
• A government headstone, marker or medallion. These are usually placed some weeks after the burial, so they do not appear in the program, but families sometimes mention a later dedication.
• A burial flag. The flag used to drape the casket or presented at the service is a veterans' benefit, provided through the funeral director.
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate. An engraved certificate signed by the President, honouring the veteran's service, which families can request. Some families mention or display it at the reception.

The exact rules and eligibility are set by the Department of Veterans Affairs and change from time to time, so rely on the VA or the funeral director rather than general articles – including this one – for the details that apply to your family.

When service was long ago or brief

Not every veteran's funeral is a military occasion. Someone who served two years of national service sixty years ago and then spent a lifetime as a teacher may be best remembered as a teacher. Families sometimes worry that leaving honors out is disrespectful, or that including them will feel out of proportion. Some middle paths:

• Mention service in a single sentence in the life story and on the back page, without formal honors
• Request the flag folding and Taps at the graveside, while keeping the main service civilian in tone
• Place a small flag or service photo beside the portrait at the visitation
• Invite veterans present to stand for a moment of recognition

Ask what the person would have wanted. Some veterans left clear wishes; many said things to family over the years – "I want Taps," or "no fuss" – that are worth honouring.

First responders and similar honors

Families of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers often find that their departments offer honors with a similar shape – an honor guard, a flag presentation, a bell ceremony or a "last call" over the radio. The program can list these in the same way as military honors, with a short note explaining when guests should stand. The department's chaplain or honor guard coordinator is usually the right person to confirm the order and the exact names to print.

Common mistakes in veterans' programs

• Wrong rank or branch, or an incorrect abbreviation
• Listing decorations not on the service record
• Using "Retired" for a veteran who was discharged rather than retired
• Not telling guests when to stand during honors
• Forgetting to thank the honor guard and veterans' organizations
• Printing a branch emblem without checking usage rules

Frequently asked questions

How do we request military funeral honors?

In the US, through the funeral director, who contacts the military. You will usually need the veteran's DD Form 214 or equivalent proof of service.

Should the program list all military decorations?

Only those confirmed on the service record. Many families list only the most significant, or none, and mention service in the life story.

Who receives the folded flag?

Usually the next of kin – most often the spouse, or an adult child or parent. If several family members would cherish a flag, ask the funeral director about obtaining additional flags in advance.

Can a veteran's program be non-religious?

Yes. Military honors are not religious, and a secular service can include them in full. See our non-religious funeral program guide.

Make the program

Our funeral service program template includes a Navy & Gold theme suited to veterans' services, an order of service that handles honors and color guard entries neatly, and a life-story field that works with the military details from the obituary writer. Preview it free in the maker, and share the preview with the funeral director and honor guard to confirm details. Print-ready files are $4.99 – see pricing.