Procedures for
Funerals In Arlington National Cemetery
Bagpiping In Arlington National Cemetery
Visit the Arlington National Cemetery WEB site for
general
information. For answers to specific questions, consult your
funeral director or the Arlington National Cemetery Administrative
Office 703-607-8585.
For answers to specific questions on interment in Arlington National
Cemetery, consult your funeral director or the Arlington National
Cemetery Administrative Office 703-607-8585.
You will be responsible for providing your own transportation within
the cemetery.
Family and friends should arrive at the designated meeting location in
Arlington National Cemetery or Ft Myer at least 30 minutes prior to the
scheduled service. If you are arriving in a funeral procession
lead by your funeral director, just follow their instructions.
MEETING LOCATIONS
(See map of Arlington National Cemetery)
There are three locations where family and friends officially gather
for services, the Administrative Building, Old Post or Memorial Chapel
on Fort Myer Military base, or at the gate to Arlington National
Cemetery (gate meet). You will be directed to one of the locations by
the Cemetery Office or your funeral director. These meeting locations
are where the cemetery representative and chaplain will meet with the
family. The cemetery representative will answer questions about
the funeral ceremony and review information to be placed on the
headstone. Any of these locations may be used for services for
either military personnel or their dependents.
For “gate meets”and services originating at the
Administrative Building in the cemetery, use the entrance on Memorial
Drive. At the barricade on Memorial Drive, a security guard will
greet you and direct you to the appropriate location. To reach
the Administrative Building, turn left at the end of Memorial Drive
onto Eisenhower Drive, and then turn left on King Drive. For
“gate meets,” you will be directed to assemble just in
front of the Women’s Memorial at the end of Memorial Drive.
Administrative Building
Enter through the Memorial Drive
entrance. Park in the lot in near the Administrative Building and
check in with the receptionist. She/he will direct you to your family
meeting room. Family and friends will gather in that room before
the service. A cemetery representative will meet with you
in this room. The cemetery representative is the person
responsible for the service and guide you through the entire service.
After meeting with the family representative, the cemetery
representative will announce when it is time to return to your cars and
line up behind the cemetery representative’s car. The cemetery
representative will then lead the cars to the grave, columbarium, or
the wall. If a caisson will be used, the cemetery representative will
lead the procession to the transfer point where the casket or urn will
be moved to the caisson. The honor guard and caisson will then
lead the procession to the grave site, columbarium, or wall. If you
elect to walk behind the caisson to the grave or columbarium, the
cemetery representative will ask to have someone drive your car in the
procession to the interment site, columbarium or the Wall..
Fort Myer Old Post and Memorial Chapels
Both chapels are located in Fort
Myer
military base. To enter the base, the driver will need to present
either military or government issued photo identification such as
a drivers license. If
you have military identification you may enter through Arlington
National Cemetery or through the base entrance on 2nd
Street South. If
you enter through the cemetery, guards at the cemetery entrance on
Memorial Drive will direct you to the gate to the base.
If you do not have military identification, you will
have to enter the base through the gate on 2nd Street South. Your
car will be given a security inspection when you enter the base.
Allow plenty of time for the inspection. The guard at the gate will
direct you to the Old Post or Memorial Chapel.
At either chapel, family members will be ushered by
the military guards to the family meeting room in the chapel. Friends
should enter the front doors to the chapel sanctuary. At the beginning
of the service, the military honor guard will carry the casket or urn
into the chapel. At the conclusion of the chapel service,the honor
guard will carry the casket or urn to the funeral coach, cemetery
representative’s car (only for urns when caisson is not
used), or caisson. The cemetery
representative will lead the procession to the grave site, columbarium,
or the Wall. If you elect to walk behind the caisson, it is a good
idea to
have someone drive you back to the chapel parking lot.
Gate Meet
Occasionally, the funeral procession will assemble at the end of
Memorial Drive, in front of the Women’s Memorial. The
cemetery representative and chaplain will meet there with the family.
The cemetery representative will then be lead the procession to either
the grave, columbarium, wall, or the caisson transfer
point. If a
caisson will be used, the cemetery representative will lead the
procession to the transfer point where the casket or urn will be moved
from the funeral coach to the caisson by the military casket
bearers. The cemetery
representative and military escort will then lead the procession
to the grave, columbarium, or the Wall.
INTERMENT SERVICE FOR MILITARY
(retired and active duty personnel)
In-Ground Burial
When the procession approaches the
grave site, the cemetery representative will direct the cars to the
stop behind the caisson or funeral coach. When the family and friends
have gathered behind the caisson, cemetery representative’s car
or the funeral coach, the casket or urn will be removed by the military
honor guard. The honor guard will carry the casket or urn to the
grave. Family and friends will be directed to follow to the pavilion.
The committal service will be conducted by the chaplain or your pastor.
Then military honors (gun salute, playing of Taps) will be presented
and the flag will be folded and presented to the family. The chaplain
or your pastor, Arlington
Lady and cemetery representative will greet the family. The
piper will then be allowed to play. After the piper has played,
the cemetery representative will announce the conclusion of the
service, answer questions, and ask the family and friends to return to
their cars so the cemetery staff can complete the interment.
Columbarium Service
The urn may be placed in either
the columbarium or in the niches along the Wall on the south side of
the cemetery. The procession will stop curbside near the
covered pavilion in the columbarium or near the Wall. When the family
and friends have gathered behind the caisson, cemetery
representative’s car or the funeral coach, the urn will be
removed by the military honor guard. The honor guard will carry
the casket or urn to the pavilion. Family and friends will be directed
to follow to the grave. The committal service will be conducted by the
chaplain or your pastor. Then military honors (gun salute, playing of
Taps) will be presented and the flag will be folding and presented to
the family. The chaplain or your pastor, Arlington Lady
and cemetery representative will greet the family. The cemetery
representative will then lead the family and guests to the niche.
At the niche, the chaplain or your pastor will conduct the committal
service. After the service, the piper will be allowed to play as
he move away After the piper has played, the cemetery
representative will announce the conclusion of the service, answer
questions, and ask the family and friends to return to their cars so
the cemetery staff can complete the inurnment. . 
INTERMENT SERVICE FOR DEPENDENT WHO HAS NOT SERVED IN THE MILITARY
Services for dependents who have not served in the military are similar
to the services for military veterans or active duty, except there be a
smaller military contingent to carry the casket or urn, and no
military honors will be presented. Meeting places may be any of
this discussed above
*
In-Ground Burial
The cemetery representative will lead the procession of cars from the
Administrative Building, Cemetery Gate, or chapel to curbside near the
grave. The honor guard will carry the urn or casket to the grave.
The chaplain or your pastor will conduct the committal service.
At the end of the committal service, after the chaplain or pastor has
greeted the family, the piper will be allowed to play. After that, the
cemetery representative will answer questions and give directions for
leaving the cemetery. The family and friends will then return to
their cars.
Columbarium Service
The cemetery representative will lead the procession of cars from the
Administrative Building, Cemetery Gate, or chapel to curbside near the
niche in the columbarium or near the Wall. The honor guard will carry
the urn to the niche. The chaplain or pastor will conduct the
committal service. After the chaplain or pastor has greeted the family
at the end of the service, the piper will be allowed to play as he
moves away. After that, the cemetery representative will answer any
questions the family may have and give directions for leaving the
cemetery. The family and friends will then return to their cars to
depart the cemetery.
Click here to view photos of services in
Arlington National Cemetery
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