If someone you love who recently passed away served time in the military, you may want to commemorate this during your loved one's funeral service. However, if you are like many people, you might be unsure of how to get started with planning a veteran's funeral. Luckily, it's not as difficult as you might think. These are some of the people and organizations that you should talk to during the planning stages so that you can plan everything properly.

1. The Funeral Home Director

If you are planning on hosting the funeral at the local funeral home, make sure that you talk to the funeral home director about your loved one's military service. Many funeral home directors have experience in planning military funerals and will know what to do and who to contact during the planning stages to ensure that the funeral is planned as it should be. You can also talk to your funeral home director about things like choosing between a private cemetery or a national cemetery.

2. The Department of Defense

The Department of Defense can help with every step of setting up a military funeral and can provide the necessary service members for the playing of Taps, a flag presentation, and the folding of the flag. If the resources are available and if you are interested in it, other elements like a rifle detail, color guard, and military flyover might also be offered. Pallbearers may also be provided for your loved one's funeral. The Department of Defense actually has a separate website set up to tell you more about how it honors service members who have passed away, whether they pass away while they are actively serving or they are veterans.

3. The Department of Veteran's Affairs

If your loved one was a veteran, the Department of Veteran's Affairs can communicate with you and the funeral home director about planning a proper funeral for your loved one. Your funeral director might have a contact number, or you can look for more information at the Department of Veteran's Affairs website.

As you can see, you are not alone when it comes to planning your loved one's funeral. Planning a veteran's funeral can present its own challenges, but working with the funeral home director, Department of Defense, and Department of Veteran's Affairs can help you every step of the way to ensure that your loved one is honored properly. For more information, contact local professionals like Hartsell Funeral Home.