To All Our Fellow Veterans, Thank You For Your Service!
We pride ourselves on our Military heritage. What other funeral homes may take as a task, we consider a privilege, honor, and sacred duty to be selected to provide services for a fellow veteran, spouse, or dependent that only a fellow veteran can understand.
Honorably discharged veterans, their spouses, and dependent children are eligible for burial in a National Cemetery at no charge. This benefit includes the grave spaces, vaults, and grave markers for each eligible person—up to an $8,000 savings versus local cemetery costs. Some restrictions may apply.
Fort Indiantown Gap, near Lebanon, PA, is the closest National Cemetery. Retirees, Purple Heart and higher medal recipients, as well as those cremated, may be eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. We will take care of all arrangements for interment in either location.
If you prefer a local cemetery, the VA will provide a marker for all veterans who served on active duty; however, the cemetery may charge a fee for installation. Reimbursement for other cemetery and funeral costs may be available in certain cases.
Navy veterans are entitled to a formal burial at sea from a Navy vessel on either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. We can assist qualified veterans with arranging this service.
We offer special packages and pricing for all eligible Veterans, spouses, and dependent children. We guarantee no other funeral home in Berks County will provide the casket and vault we use for a veteran orspouse at a lower price. Show us their written agreement, and we will be at least $100 lower. This is our promise. Preplan online for a FREE, No-Obligation quote!
Veteran Serving Veterans
Feeney Funeral Home prides itself on our strong and continued military heritage. Our founder John Feeney (1918-1999) was the only local funeral director to voluntarily close his funeral home to serve in the United States Army during World War II. At the end of the war, John, his wife Margaret and children returned to Reading to reopen the funeral home.
Michael Feeney, the current funeral director, is a highly decorated veteran of the Vietnam War and he was still a member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard until 2006, serving as an SSG in the Infantry. He also spent 13 months deployed overseas under Operation Enduring Freedom, where he was awarded the Meritorious Medal, the highest award granted to soldiers in his task force. He was again deployed to New Orleans for Operation Katrina Relief.
This strong military heritage is represented in the attention to all details for military funerals. What other funeral homes may take as a task, we consider a privilege, honor and sacred duty to be selected to provide services for a fellow veteran, spouse, or dependent that only a fellow veteran can understand. In addition to our special prices for veterans, their spouses, and dependents, we feel we offer more services to veterans than any other funeral home:
- Military Honors, if desired
- Assistance claiming all veteran and other eligible benefits
- Set of medals you earned in military services
- Assistance if you desire to use a National Cemetery
Call us for more information about your Veteran funeral and burial benefits:
610-372-4160.
Military Funeral Honors
The basic Military Funeral Honors ceremony consists of the folding and presentation of the United States flag to the veteran's family, the playing of Taps, followed by a rifle salute. The ceremony is performed by a funeral honors detail consisting of at least two members of the Armed Forces. At least one of the funeral honors detail will be from the Armed Force in which the deceased veteran served.
Feeney Funeral Home will handle the arrangements for scheduling the Honor Guard.
Headstones, Markers, and Flags
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a headstone or marker for unmarked graves of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death. While there is no charge for the headstone or marker itself, placement in a private cemetery is not included.
Eligible Veterans who died on or after Nov. 1, 1990 and have a privately purchased headstone may also obtain the Government furnished marker. Medallions are also available for eligible Veterans who served on or after Apr. 6, 1917 and have a privately purchased headstone or marker.
For burials/entombments in a national cemetery, state Veterans' cemetery, or military post/base cemetery, a headstone or marker will be ordered for the Veteran by the cemetery. Spouses and dependents may also receive a headstone or marker when buried in a national cemetery, state Veteran's cemetery, or military post/base cemetery.
United States flag is provided at no cost to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran whoserved honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. The flag is presented to the next of kin as a keepsake after its use during the funeral service. Our funeral home will obtain the flag for the family. If there are no relatives or friends to receive the flag or they do not wish to retain it, the flag can be donated to Fort Indiantown Gap
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eligible to Receive Military Funeral Honors?
- Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
- Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
- Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Who is Not Eligible To Receive Military Funeral Honors?
- Any person separated from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions or whose character of service results in a bar to veteran's 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.
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. Feeney Funeral Home will assist you in establishing your eligibility.
Who is Also Eligible to Receive Funeral Honors?
Members of the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as members of a Uniformed Service, are also eligible to receive funeral honors.
Who is Eligible to Receive the Burial Flag?
Generally, the flag is given to the next-of-kin of the eligible Veteran, as a keepsake after its use during the funeral service or Military Honors. Families may donate the burial flags to veteran groups and National Cemeteries.
How Do I Apply to Receive the Burial Flag?
Feeney Funeral Home will provide the family of all eligible Veterans with the Burial Flag.
Can a Burial Flag Be Replaced?
Technically, only one flag can be requested for a veteran's funeral. It cannot be replaced if it is lost, destroyed, or stolen. However, please contact us for assistance. We have ties with several veterans' organizations who may be able to help you obtain another flag.
How Should the Burial Flag Be Displayed?
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. The flag will be presented to the next of kin in a folded pattern. You can display it on a shelf as is or you may purchase a Flag Display case from Feeney Funeral Home.
We can assist qualified veterans needing additional help and benefits by applying for membership with the American Legion, VFW Post 38, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Disabled Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, 1st Cavalry Division Association, and the PA National Guard Association—all of which Mike Feeney is also a member of.