Pine Grove Cemetery is pleased to offer a 360-plot section specifically designated to military Veterans and their spouses in honor of the service and sacrifice of the men and women who gave their last full measure of devotion to their nation.
Pine Grove’s private Veterans section is the only Veterans Cemetery in Northeastern Pennsylvania - maintained by the National Cemetery Administration or otherwise - within an est. 3-hour drive of Pike County, Pa.
Fully handicapped-accessible, the Veterans Cemetery includes several benches and paths, and has been carefully landscaped. The entrance is marked by a large American flag, a POW flag, and six military flags, each one representing a different branch of our armed forces in honor of our country’s heroes.
Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery offers nearly all the benefits of being interred at a National Veterans Cemetery with much less bureaucracy - and much closer to home.
For plot purchases or to schedule a burial, please contact Dave Clark by calling (570) 491-5083 or (845) 649-6418, or by emailing pinegrovecemeterypa@gmail.com.
Eligibility
All deceased active duty personnel and Veterans are eligible for burial within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery, and with full Military Funeral Honors. Those Veterans include anyone who:
- Was on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
- Served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Was discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Yes. Members of the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and, as members of a Uniformed Service, are also eligible to receive Military Funeral Honors.
Individuals who have, at any time, been discharged or released from military service with one of the following characterizations are not eligible for burial within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery, and also not eligible to receive Military Funeral Honors*, including:
- Any person separated from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions or whose character of service results in a bar to Veterans benefits.
- Any person who was ordered to report to an induction station, but was not actually inducted into military service.
- Any person discharged from the Selected Reserve prior to completing one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service for reasons other than a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
- Any person convicted of a Federal or State capital crime, sentenced to death or life imprisonment, or Dishonorable discharge.
*Only the Secretary of the service (i.e. Secretary of the Army, Navy, etc.) can deny honors.
National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)9700 Page Blvd.St. Louis, MO 63132
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationCommissioned Personnel CenterChief, Officer Services Division (CPC1)1315 East-West Highway, Room 12100Silver Spring, MD 20910
Division of Commissioned Personnel/HRS/PSCAttention: Privacy Act Coordinator5600 Fishers Lane4-36Rockville, MD 20857
Burials/Grave Markers
Although you cannot buy/reserve a plot within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery as part of pre-planning, Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery will allow a Veteran to purchase a plot (at a very reduced rate) at the time of his or her spouse’s passing, if both plan to eventually share the same plot.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides markers for Veterans no matter where they are interred. Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery requires that each grave be marked with a government-issued light gray granite upright headstone (42Hx12Wx4D) to ensure uniformity and reduce distractions.
A Veteran’s spouse’s name can be added to the grave marker after the Veteran’s passing (additional costs for engraving apply). A marker can be requested by completing VA Form 40-1330 or calling (800) 697-6947.
The VA provides funds to help offset burial and funeral costs for Veterans. Many different factors are involved to determine the amount provided. We recommend families contact the VA by visiting https://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/ or calling (800) 827-1000.
Funeral Honors
Every Veteran is entitled to have the following at his/her funeral, regardless of where he or she is buried:
- An American flag to drape the casket.
- Two or more uniformed military persons, with at least one a member of the Veteran’s parent service of the Armed Forces, to attend the funeral in uniform.
- The American flag folded by the Service members and presented to the family with the Service’s condolences.
- Taps played either by bugler or CD.
- A Memorial Certificate from the President of the United States (can be requested via VA Form 40-0247).
The basic Military Funeral Honors ceremony consists of the folding and presentation of the American flag to the Veteran’s family and the playing of Taps. The ceremony is performed by a funeral honors detail consisting of at least two members of the Armed Forces.
The Funeral Honors rendered to you or your Veteran will be determined by the status of the Veteran. The type of Funeral Honors may be Full Military Honors, 7-Person Detail, or a Standard Honors Team Detail.
At least one member of the Funeral Honors detail will be from the Armed Force in which the deceased Veteran served. Taps may be played by a bugler, or, if a bugler is not available, by using a quality recorded version. Military Funeral Honor teams may act as pallbearers if requested by the Veteran/family.
Burial Flags
An American flag is provided, at no cost, to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased Veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a Veteran's military service to his or her country. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will furnish a burial flag for memorialization for:
- A Veteran who served during wartime.
- A Veteran who died on active duty after May 27, 1941.
- A Veteran who served after January 31, 1955.
- A peacetime Veteran who was discharged or released before June 27, 1950.
- Certain persons who served in the organized military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines while in service of the U.S. Armed Forces and who died on or after April 25, 1951.
- Certain former members of the Selected Reserve.
Generally, the flag is given to the next of kin, as a keepsake, after its use during the funeral service. When there is no next of kin, the Office of Veterans Affairs will furnish the flag to a friend making a request for it.
You may apply for the flag by completing VA Form 27-2008 application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes. You may get a flag at any VA regional office or U.S. Post Office. Generally, the funeral director will help you obtain the flag.
The proper way to display the flag depends upon whether the casket is open or closed. VA Form 27-2008 provides the correct method for displaying and folding the flag. The burial flag is not suitable for outside display because of its size and fabric. It is made of cotton and can easily be damaged by weather.
For more information, call (800) 827-1000.
