Home → Memorial Cemetery System → Preparing for Burial → Burial Flags
Burial Flags
A United States 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. VA will furnish a burial flag for memorialization for an other than dishonorably discharged:
- Veteran who served during wartime
- Veteran who died on active duty after May 27, 1941
- Veteran who served after January 31, 1955
- 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 Reserves
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, VA will furnish the flag to a friend making request for it.
To apply for a flag, please complete VA Form 27-2008, Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes (PDF).
U.S. Post Offices are the primary issuing point for burial flags. As not all local post offices have flags on hand, please call and confirm with your local post office in advance. They should be able to direct you to the closest issuing post office. Regional VA Offices can also help identify local issuing offices.
Please note that the proper way to display the flag depends upon whether the casket is open or closed. VA Form 27-2008 (PDF) 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.
