Blanchard Funeral Chapel

Veteran services at Blanchard Funeral Chapel

Blanchard Funeral Chapel, located in Whitman, MA, assists those who served and their families. In their own words: "Blanchard Funeral Chapel provides comprehensive assistance for veterans and their eligible dependents. Services include guidance on free burial in a National Cemetery (gravesite, opening/closing, perpetual care), obtaining government-provided headstones and markers for graves or columbaria, and information on burial at sea for active duty, retired, and honorably discharged veterans. They also assist with applying for Presidential Memorial Certificates, understanding reimbursement of burial and funeral expenses (including a $300 allowance and potential transportation costs for deaths in VA facilities), and securing a United States Burial Flag. The chapel helps families gather necessary documents like DD214, marriage certificates, death certificates, and provides contact information for the Veterans Affairs office." On-site amenities include off street parking and chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $4,800 for basic burial and $2,100 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include memorial service, graveside service, immediate burial, complete funeral service with cremation, direct cremation, and burial of cremains. 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 chapel. 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 Blanchard Funeral Chapel: direct cremation from $2,100. That places direct cremation roughly 22% below the Massachusetts median ($2,677). 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 Massachusetts National Cemetery in MA, approximately 34 miles from Blanchard Funeral Chapel. Blanchard Funeral Chapel can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Massachusetts has approximately 579 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Blanchard Funeral Chapel is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Blanchard Funeral Chapel apart

• Long-standing family operation since 1973, with ownership transitioning to a director who has been with the chapel since 1997.
• Facility features generous off-street parking for over 75 vehicles.
• Two sizable viewing rooms, each seating up to 80 people.
• ADA compliant, one-level chapel.
• Extensive assistance with Social Security and Veteran benefits.
• Offers pre-planning services with options for irrevocable trusts or insurance policies for Medicaid asset sheltering.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist, Pentecostal, Congregational. Languages spoken at the home: English.

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.