Missouri Veterans Cemetery: Eligibility, Locations, and What's Free

When a veteran dies, one of the most significant benefits their family can access is burial at no cost in a veterans cemetery. Missouri has five state veterans cemeteries managed by the Missouri Veterans Commission, plus the federally operated Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. Understanding exactly what is covered, what is not, and how to claim these benefits prevents families from paying for services they are legally entitled to receive at no charge.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility for burial in a Missouri state veterans cemetery or federal national cemetery extends to three groups:

• Eligible veterans — any veteran who received a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable
• Spouse of an eligible veteran, including a surviving spouse who remarries after the veteran's death (in most cases, eligibility is retained)
• Dependent children of an eligible veteran

The key threshold is the character of discharge. Veterans with an honorable, general, or other-than-honorable discharge typically qualify. Dishonorable and bad conduct discharges generally do not. If there is any uncertainty about discharge characterization, the Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) in Missouri — the VFW, American Legion, and DAV all maintain active Missouri chapters — can help families review the record.

Missouri's Five State Veterans Cemeteries

The Missouri Veterans Commission operates five state veterans cemeteries across the state:

1. Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Springfield (Republic, MO)
2. Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Higginsville (Higginsville, MO)
3. Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Bloomfield (Bloomfield, MO)
4. Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Fort Leonard Wood (Waynesville, MO)
5. Missouri Veterans Cemetery – Jacksonville (Jacksonville, MO)

In addition, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis is one of the oldest active national cemeteries in the United States and is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Space at Jefferson Barracks is limited and subject to eligibility verification through the VA's National Cemetery Scheduling Office.

What the Burial Benefit Covers at No Cost

For eligible veterans and their qualifying family members, the burial benefit at a Missouri state veterans cemetery or national cemetery includes all of the following at no charge:

• A gravesite (in-ground burial) or columbarium niche (for cremated remains)
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A concrete grave liner — if the family does not purchase an outside vault, a government-furnished liner is provided
• A government-furnished upright granite headstone, flat bronze marker, or niche cover — families choose the style; the VA or cemetery orders and sets it
• Perpetual care of the gravesite
• Military funeral honors — at minimum, a two-person military detail, the folding and presentation of a burial flag, and the playing of "Taps" (live or recorded)

These benefits are provided at no cost to the family. There is no application fee, no plot fee, and no maintenance fee now or in the future.

What the Burial Benefit Does NOT Cover

This is the critical distinction families frequently miss. While the cemetery burial itself is free, the following costs remain the family's responsibility:

• Professional service fees charged by the civilian funeral home — the funeral director's basic service fee, transportation, embalming or refrigeration, coordination
• The casket or cremation urn — the VA does not provide one, and the cemetery does not either
• Body preparation costs — embalming, cosmetology, dressing and casketing

The VA does offer a separate VA burial allowance (a cash reimbursement) for certain eligible veterans who died from a service-connected disability or who were receiving VA pension or compensation at the time of death. This allowance can offset some of those civilian funeral costs. The current allowances vary depending on the circumstances of death; contact your regional VA office to determine eligibility.

The DD-214: The Document That Unlocks the Benefit

To claim any veterans cemetery burial benefit, the family must produce the veteran's DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty). This is the primary discharge document. Without it, the burial cannot be scheduled at a state or national cemetery.

If the DD-214 cannot be located, request it immediately through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. An expedited request citing an imminent burial need is typically processed within a day or two. The NPRC can be reached online through the National Archives website or by calling directly.

Keep several certified copies of the DD-214 once you have it. This document is needed not only for cemetery burial but also for VA survivor benefits, DIC (Dependency and Indemnity Compensation), survivor pension claims, and some state-level veterans benefits.

How to Schedule a Burial at a Missouri State Veterans Cemetery

Contact the individual Missouri state veterans cemetery directly to schedule the burial. The Missouri Veterans Commission provides contact information for each facility on its website (mvc.dps.mo.gov). You will need:

• The veteran's DD-214
• Death certificate (or proof of death)
• Completed pre-certification application (the cemetery will provide the form)

Schedule as soon as possible after the death. Cemeteries require a minimum notice period, and military honors details need coordination time.

For Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, scheduling goes through the National Cemetery Scheduling Office (1-800-535-1117) or through the funeral home, which can coordinate the scheduling on the family's behalf.

Military Funeral Honors: Your Rights Under Federal Law

Federal law (10 U.S.C. § 985) requires that military funeral honors be provided to all eligible veterans upon family request. At minimum this means a two-member detail, a folded burial flag, and "Taps." Many ceremonies include a full rifle salute detail.

The funeral home typically coordinates with the Department of Defense to arrange these honors. If a funeral home tells you that military honors are unavailable or will cost extra, that is incorrect — request clarification from the Missouri Veterans Commission or contact your local National Guard unit directly.

Claiming veterans burial benefits is one part of a larger set of tasks families face after a veteran dies in Missouri — pension survivor claims, LAGERS or MOSERS benefit elections, probate avoidance through Beneficiary Deeds, and the MO HealthNet estate recovery process all run in parallel. The Missouri Funeral Laws & Consumer Rights Guide covers all of these in a single, organized reference, with the specific forms and deadlines for each.

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