Committal Services with Military Honors Resume

At Fort Rosecrans, Miramar National Cemeteries

 

Committal services with military honors resumed June 9 at Fort Rosecrans and Miramar National Cemeteries. The cemetery staff is contacting families who were unable to hold a committal service between March 23 and June 8 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is assisting them in arranging memorial services for their loved ones beginning in July.

“During the weeks of restricted operations, we continued to inter veterans and eligible family members,” said Jared Howard, director of San Diego’s veterans’ cemeteries. “We can now conduct committal and memorial services with robust measures in place to protect the health and safety of veterans, their families, and the staff members who serve them.”

Families who have scheduled interments on or after June 9 will be offered the option of a committal service at the time of interment. Military funeral honors, customarily provided by the Department of Defense and volunteer honor guards, will be based on local availability. 

For the time being, 10 attendees will be permitted during interment services at Fort Rosecrans; 20 attendees will be permitted at Miramar. Families may continue to choose direct interment and opt for a memorial service later when all restrictions have been lifted. 

VA national cemeteries will continue adherence to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by limiting the number of individuals attending committal services, practicing physical distancing between individuals not from the same household, ensuring all attendees and employees wear face coverings, encouraging frequent use of hand sanitizer and asking sick individuals to stay home.

For more information, visit www.cem.va.gov or contact Miramar National Cemetery at 858-658-7360. To make burial arrangements at any VA national cemetery, contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at (800) 535-1117.