Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery

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

Who is eligible for burial within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery with Military Funeral Honors?

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.

Is anyone else eligible for burial within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery with Military Funeral Honors?

Who is NOT eligible for burial within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery (and also ineligible 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.

How do I establish Veteran eligibility?

The preferred method is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. If the DD Form 214 is not available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD Form 214 may be obtained by filling out a Standard Form 180 and sending it to:

National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)

9700 Page Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63132

Visit https://www.archives.gov/Veterans/military-service-records to request records online.

For National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) personnel, eligibility is established using NOAA Form 56-16, Report of Transfer or Discharge. If the family does not have a copy of the NOAA Form 56-16, it may be obtained by contacting the Chief, Officer Services Division, NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center at (301) 713-7715 or by writing:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Commissioned Personnel Center

Chief, Officer Services Division (CPC1)

1315 East-West Highway, Room 12100

Silver Spring, MD 20910

For PHS personnel, funeral honors eligibility is established using PHS Form 1867, Statement of Service (equivalent to the DD Form 214). If the family does not have a copy of the Statement of Service, it may be obtained by contacting the Privacy Coordinator for the Commissioned Corps at (240) 453-6041 or by writing:

Division of Commissioned Personnel/HRS/PSC

Attention: Privacy Act Coordinator

5600 Fishers Lane

4-36

Rockville, MD 20857

Burials/Grave Markers

Can I reserve my plot in Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery as part of pre-planning?

What are my options for markers within Pine Grove Veterans Cemetery?

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.

What is the VA Burial Allowance?

Funeral Honors

What honors are provided to Veterans after they die?

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).

What is involved with Military Funeral Honors?

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

What is a Veterans Burial Flag?

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.