Birmingham Funeral Home

Veteran services at Birmingham Funeral Home

Birmingham Funeral Home in Old Town, ME supports veteran families with military funeral arrangements. In their own words: "Birmingham Funeral Home provides military funeral honors for eligible veterans, which include the folding and presentation of the American flag and the playing of Taps. They assist families in coordinating additional honors such as a three-volley rifle salute and flag draping. The funeral home also helps families communicate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to arrange for Presidential Memorial Certificates, headstones or markers, memorial plots, burial in a VA national cemetery, and reimbursement of burial expenses. Eligibility for these services is verified by the veteran's DD-214 or discharge papers." Published pricing lists $6,695 for basic burial and $3,370 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include honoring veterans, immediate burial, memorial service, graveside services, and cremation services. Each service is coordinated with the family and, where applicable, with the deceased's last unit or branch honor detail.

On-site facilities of note include columbarium. These spaces accommodate full military honors details, family gatherings before and after the service, and the placement of the United States flag during the visitation period.

Published pricing at Birmingham Funeral Home: direct cremation from $3,370. That places direct cremation roughly 43% above the Maine median ($2,350). Veterans who served on active duty for at least 24 months may qualify for VA burial allowance to offset funeral costs — this home accepts assignment of those benefits where eligible.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Acadia National Cemetery in ME, approximately 52 miles from Birmingham Funeral Home. Birmingham Funeral Home can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Maine has approximately 133 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Birmingham Funeral Home is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Birmingham Funeral Home apart

• Offers a custom "Remember Page" and a collaborative app for families and friends to share stories and photos, preserving memories digitally.
• Partners with The Arbor Day Foundation to plant memorial trees as a tribute to loved ones.
• Provides comprehensive pre-planning services that allow individuals to personalize their final arrangements, potentially save on future costs, and ease the burden on their families.
• Specializes in veteran services, assisting with military funeral honors, Presidential Memorial Certificates, headstones, memorial plots, and navigating VA burial benefits.
• Features on-site facilities including a columbarium for cremated remains and a mausoleum for above-ground entombment.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic, Methodist (UMC), Apostolic, Episcopal.

How honors are coordinated

Military funeral honors are guaranteed at no cost for any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. The funeral home arranges the honors detail by contacting the deceased's last unit or the nearest active-duty installation of the appropriate branch and submitting the DD-214 to verify eligibility.

For requests less than 72 hours from service time, families can call the Department of Defense's expedited honors line at 1-877-MIL-HONR (1-877-645-4667). See the full honors protocol.