More than 70 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, veterans and families remember their loved ones who passed away during the war. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called December 7, 1941 “a date which will live in infamy.” Every year, we memorialize those present during the surprise attack in Honolulu, Hawaii that killed 2,403 non-combatant Americans and injured 1,178 others.
In 1962, the USS Arizona Memorial was established in Pearl Harbor to honor those aboard the sunken ship USS Arizona, along with all military personnel who were killed during the Pearl Harbor attack. In 1972, the USS Utah battleship and its crew were memorialized in Ford Island, where the wreck was located. Many military personnel, civilians and people involved in combat operations in the war and who were present, killed or injured during the Pearl Harbor attack received the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal awarded by the US Congress in the 1990s.
Today, veterans are able to receive benefits from the government whether or not they were present during or suffered the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack. These benefits can be found in the US Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Some of these benefits include being able to receive burial and cremation benefits if eligible. Neptune Society offers assistance when it comes to obtaining benefits for veterans who choose cremation as an end of life option.
The government provides burial benefits such “a gravesite in any of the national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a Government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, at no cost to the family.” If eligible, a $300 reimbursement towards cremation or burial service may also be provided.
Veterans who choose cremation receive the same honors as those who choose a burial service. Since 1973, Neptune Society has guided veterans in completing and submitting funeral benefits’ paperwork. Neptune Society’s dedicated family services representatives are trained to answer your questions about veteran’s cremation and help you navigate benefits eligibility and planning.
Neptune Society observes National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day along with all veterans and families who lost loved ones on December 7, 1941 or during the war that followed. We believe veterans should be entitled to benefits they deserve and receive any assistance necessary in acquiring these benefits. If you have more questions regarding what benefits are available to you as a veteran and how you may be eligible to receive these benefits, please visit the National Cemetery Administration site. For spouse or survivor benefits, you may visit this link.
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The Neptune Society is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of affordable cremation services. Whether you have an immediate need or want to plan cremation services in advance, we are always available to assist you and your family.
Call 1-800-NEPTUNE (800-637-8863) today or contact us online to learn more.
