Ask a Service Officer: Can children be buried at national cemeteries?

Q. Can children of veterans be buried at national cemeteries?

A. Children of an eligible veteran may be buried at a national cemetery if they meet the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) dependency criteria.

According to VA, a minor child of an eligible veteran may be buried at a national cemetery if they are unmarried and:

  • Under 21 years of age, or
  • Under 23 years of age and pursuing a full-time academic course at an approved educational institution.

An unmarried adult child of any age of an eligible veteran may be buried at a national cemetery if they are permanently physically or mentally disabled and incapable of self-support before reaching 21 years of age, or before reaching 23 years of age if they are pursuing a full-time academic course at an approved educational institution. You will need to provide supporting documentation that shows you are an eligible veteran, that your child is related to you, and that he or she has been incapable of self-support prior to their 21st birthday or 23rd birthday if they are a full-time student. Medical documentation confirming your child’s inability to be self-sufficient is needed; written lay statements can also be used.

To schedule a burial in a VA national cemetery, please visit www.cem.va.gov/CEM/burial_benefits/need.asp for instructions on how to submit eligibility documentation.

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