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Veteran Cremation Services in Leonardtown, Maryland

A veteran who is cremated does not forfeit military funeral honors. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, a veteran, family-owned funeral home in Leonardtown, Maryland, arranges cremation for veterans throughout St. Mary’s County and requests full military honors, including the flag presentation and the playing of Taps. Cremated remains of eligible veterans may be interred or inurned in national and state veterans cemeteries. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Bring the DD-214 if you have it. Call (301) 475-8500, answered 24 hours a day.

Serving St. Mary’s County, Maryland

Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home serves families throughout St. Mary’s County, Maryland, from our Leonardtown location on Fenwick Street. We regularly serve families in Leonardtown, California, Lexington Park, Hollywood, Loveville, Callaway, Great Mills, Avenue, Compton, Morganza, Mechanicsville, and Charlotte Hall. Our funeral directors are familiar with the parish churches, cemeteries, and burial grounds across the county, and coordinate directly with them on your behalf.

What Veteran Families Should Know About Cremation

Honors Are Rendered With the Urn Present

Military funeral honors for a cremated veteran are rendered at the committal or memorial service with the urn present. The flag is folded and presented to the next of kin, and Taps is played, in the same manner as at a casketed burial. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home coordinates the detail with the veteran’s branch of service.

Inurnment in a Columbarium

Many national and state veterans cemeteries provide columbarium niches for the inurnment of cremated remains. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home coordinates the inurnment with the cemetery and arranges the committal service. Eligibility and niche availability are determined by the cemetery and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A Viewing Before Cremation

A veteran family may hold a full viewing and funeral service with the body present, receive military honors, and then proceed to cremation. Choosing cremation does not require giving up the service. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home arranges the viewing, the service in one of our three chapels or at your church, and the honors.

The Government Headstone or Marker

Eligible veterans whose cremated remains are interred in a privately purchased plot may still be entitled to a government headstone or marker, and to a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home prepares and submits the applications. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Cremation Does Not Forfeit Military Honors

Families sometimes believe that choosing cremation means a veteran gives up military funeral honors. It does not. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home requests full military honors for veterans who are cremated, including the folding and presentation of the United States flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps, rendered by a detail from the veteran’s branch of service.

Interment of Cremated Remains in a Veterans Cemetery

The cremated remains of eligible veterans may be interred in a gravesite or inurned in a columbarium at a national or state veterans cemetery, ordinarily with the same benefits extended to casketed burial. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home coordinates the scheduling and submits the documentation. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A Veteran-Owned Funeral Home

Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home is a veteran, family-owned funeral home at 41590 Fenwick Street in Leonardtown, serving St. Mary’s County since 1898 and a member of the Cremation Association of North America. Our funeral directors arrange veteran cremations with full honors as routine work in a county with deep military ties.

FAQ

Can a cremated veteran still receive military funeral honors?

Yes. Cremation does not forfeit military funeral honors. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home requests full honors for cremated veterans, including the folding and presentation of the United States flag to the next of kin and the playing of Taps, rendered by a detail from the veteran’s branch of service, with the urn present at the service.
The cremated remains of eligible veterans may be interred in a gravesite or inurned in a columbarium niche at a national or state veterans cemetery, ordinarily with the same benefits extended to casketed burial. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home coordinates the scheduling and prepares the documentation. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Yes. Many veteran families in St. Mary’s County hold a full viewing and funeral service with the body present, receive military honors, and then proceed to cremation. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home arranges the viewing, the service in one of our chapels or at your church, and the military honors.
Eligible veterans may qualify for a government headstone or marker, including where cremated remains are interred in a privately purchased plot, and for a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home prepares and submits the applications on the family’s behalf. Eligibility is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

How Do I Arrange Military Funeral Honors for a Veteran in Maryland?

No. A veteran who is cremated does not forfeit military funeral honors. Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home in Leonardtown requests full honors for cremated veterans, including the flag presentation and the playing of Taps, rendered with the urn present. Call (301) 475-8500 to arrange them.

Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A. and Crematory is a veteran, family-owned funeral home and a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes, the National Funeral Directors Association, the Maryland State Funeral Directors Association, and the Cremation Association of North America.

This page is maintained by the funeral directors of Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, P.A. and Crematory, 41590 Fenwick Street, Leonardtown, Maryland 20650. For questions about the services described here, call (301) 475-8500 or email office@mgfh.com.
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