O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem

Veteran services at O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem

Veteran families in Salem, MA can turn to O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem for honors and benefit coordination. In their own words: "O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations offers specific veterans' services, including assistance with veteran benefits, headstones, and burial flags. The firm demonstrates a deep commitment to veterans through various community initiatives. These include hosting an Annual Veterans Appreciation Brunch and an Annual Veterans Day Breakfast; in 2023, the latter event, in partnership with the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, hosted over 600 veterans and guests at Danversport. They also organize all-expenses-paid bus trips for veterans to historical sites like the American Heritage Museum and the JFK Museum. Both Danvers and Salem locations serve as American Flag Retirement Centers, with hand-built collection boxes, and the firm conducts an Annual Flag Retirement Ceremony in conjunction with Flag Day, involving the American Legion and Boy Scout troops. Anthony O’Donnell also presented Operation Troop Support with a $1,000 check in 2023." On-site amenities include large parking areas, suited to flag presentation and honors ceremonies. Published pricing lists $2,995 for basic burial and $2,995 for direct cremation. Veterans may qualify for county or federal allowances toward these costs.

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

The nearest VA national cemetery is Massachusetts State Veterans Cemetery - Winchendon in MA, approximately 58 miles from O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem. O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem 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. O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem is among them.

Frequently asked questions

What sets O'Donnell Cremations - Funerals - Celebrations- Salem apart

• A century of continuous operation (established 1925) as a fourth-generation family-owned firm.
• Two modern, handicap-accessible facilities in Danvers and Salem, with the Salem location recently upgraded for various event sizes.
• Designated "Massachusetts Cremation Experts" with specific facilities for deceased individuals, including a temperature-controlled room and a five-step security protocol.
• Extensive, documented community involvement, particularly in veteran support through annual events (Veterans Day Breakfast, bus trips) and flag retirement centers.
• Active participation in local historical preservation, notably Anthony Cuffe O’Donnell's role in the City of Salem Cemetery Commission and the restoration of The Old Burial Ground.
• Specialized services such as child loss services provided at no charge, and international shipping.

Military & veteran services offered

Burial & cremation services

On-site facilities

Affiliations & specializations

Religious traditions & languages

Religious traditions accommodated: Catholic, Polish Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal, Unitarian Universalist. Languages spoken at the home: Spanish.

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.