Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory

Veteran services at Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory

Veteran families in Chattanooga, TN can turn to Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory for honors and benefit coordination. In their own words: "Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory offers specialized Veteran Funeral Services, including military tributes, to honor those who have served. Managing Partner Curtis L. Ottinger serves on the Advisory Board for the American Cancer Society, an organization that often supports veterans. The funeral home's community involvement also extends to supporting veterans and first responders." On-site amenities include east brainerd chapel and battlefield parkway chapel, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $4,645 for basic burial and $2,535 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

Veteran-related services offered include cremation services, memorialization options, veteran funeral services, burial services, cremation with a memorial service, and traditional cremation with a funeral 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 east brainerd chapel and battlefield parkway 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 Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory: direct cremation from $2,535. That places direct cremation roughly 36% above the Tennessee median ($1,865). 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 Chattanooga National Cemetery in TN, approximately 7 miles from Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory. Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory can coordinate transport, scheduling with the cemetery's interment office, and the timing of military honors with the receiving committal shelter.

Tennessee has approximately 641 licensed funeral homes serving its population, of which a subset specifically lists military funeral honors and VA benefits assistance among their services. Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets Heritage Funeral Homes & Crematory apart

• Offers a free weekly grief recovery class, "Journey of Hope," led by a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist.
• Managing Partner Curtis L. Ottinger is a Licensed Minister, Certified Life Celebrations Director, and Certified Celebrant, specializing in creating unique celebration services.
• Recognized as "Funeral Home of Choice- Best of the Best" in Chattanooga for 19 consecutive years.
• Staff members possess decades of experience, with some having over 40 years in the funeral profession.
• Strong emphasis on personalized funeral and cremation services to reflect each individual's life and wishes.
• Actively involved in the local community, supporting various causes, caregivers, veterans, first responders, clergy, hospices, and charities.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic.

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.