Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park

Veteran services at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park

For veterans in Austin, TX, Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park coordinates military honors and burial benefits. In their own words: "Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home provides comprehensive veteran services, including a dedicated Veterans Garden within the memorial park. They are a Level Three Founding Community Partner with veteran's memorial service organizations. The funeral home participates in the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program, which ensures dignified military burials for homeless and indigent veterans with no family to claim them. Additionally, they offer the Dignity Memorial Public Servants Program, providing no-cost, honorable tributes for career and volunteer law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency services personnel who die in the line of duty." On-site amenities include flexible chapel space and chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $5,845 for basic burial and $3,560 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, cemetery services, cemetery flower arrangement delivery, and veterans memorial service. 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 veterans cemetery section, flexible chapel space, chapel, cremation niches, and cremation gardens. 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.

The nearest VA national cemetery is Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen in TX, approximately 56 miles from Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park. Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Texas has approximately 1,496 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park apart

• Combined funeral home and memorial park on a 35-acre property, offering seamless funeral, cremation, and cemetery services at one location.
• Part of the Dignity Memorial network, providing a 100% Service Guarantee and access to a broad network of providers.
• Specialized programs for veterans, including the Homeless Veterans Burial Program, and for public servants who die in the line of duty.
• Non-denominational chapel accommodating over 200 guests for diverse services, with a fellowship room for catered receptions.
• Ability to accommodate families of all belief systems and cultures, offering multicultural funerals and ritual washing.
• Dedicated themed gardens within the memorial park, including a Nature Garden for cremated remains, a Veterans Garden, and gardens for babies and infants.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: All faiths and cultures, Multicultural. Languages spoken at the home: English, Spanish/Español.

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.