Veterans Information
Survivors of any person who was an active or retired member of the military at their time of death, or an honorably discharged veteran, could be eligible for a number of benefits, including:
An American flag (usually drapes the casket)
Burial in a National Cemetery.
A bronze, granite or marble upright marker
Nonservice-Related Death. The VA will pay up to $300 toward burial and funeral expenses, and $300 plot-interment allowance for deaths on or after December 1, 2001. The plot-interment allowance is $150 for deaths prior to December 1, 2001. If the death happened while the veteran was in a VA hospital or under VA contracted nursing home care, some or all of the costs for transporting the deceased's remains may be reimbursed.
Service-Related Death. Additionally, for veterans who die of a service connected disability, the VA could pay an allowance to reimburse funeral costs of $2,000.00 or less on or after September 11, 2001. VA will pay up to $1,500 for deaths prior to September 10, 2001. If the veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, some or all of the cost of transporting the deceased may be reimbursed.
If not remarried, the surviving spouse is eligible for burial in the National Cemetery. Dependent children of the veteran are also eligible.
Claims for Veteran's Benefits must be filed within 2 years of the death by the veteran's family, a non-family member who can prove that the veteran's funeral services are paid, or the funeral director.
At Peacock Funeral Home we will assist, as we always have, the veteran's family with all VA forms including the flag, go
vernment marker and the monetary benefit forms. All that is required is the veteran's Honorable Discharge papers, DD214 or similar discharge papers.
Ft. Lyon National Cemetery is available for veteran's and their spouses as well as the Fairmount Cemetery, Veteran's Section here in Lamar. If Fairmount Cemetery is requested by the veteran or his family the City of Lamar will provide the burial spaces for the veteran and his spouse if applicable. The family is still obligated to pay for opening and closing of the grave and burial liner or vault. Ft. Lyon provides for the space, opening and closing as well as the burial liner. For VA assistance and information, you may call 1-800-827-1000 or visit their website at http://www.va.gov/.
Local VFW Contact:
Our Southeast Colorado contact person is Jeremy Miller and he can be reached in the office from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Monday through Friday. The office is closed from 12 noon until 1:00 PM. His phone is 719-336-2606.
Veterans & Family Memorial Care:
Peacock Funeral is proud to be the exclusive Veterans & Family Memorial Care provider for Prowers County. We are currently your local sponsor of Cell Phones for Soldiers ,Wreaths Across America (as shown in the picture below). Operations Stockings for Soldiers and Operation Valentine. Please call for more information and how you can be involved.
Wreaths Across America
On Saturday, December 15, 2013 at 10:00 AM members of the community gathered together to honor our veterans during the holiday season as part of the annual Wreaths Across America Day. Peacock Funeral Home along with the Lamar VFW Post #3621, American Legion Post # 71, Boy Scout Pack # 218 and Cub Scout Pack #223 and Girl Scouts conducted a Wreaths Across America ceremony at Fairmount Cemetery at the Veteran's Section. Seven ceremonial wreaths were placed to remember all soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who served. We honor their sacrifices, and teach our younger generations about the high cost of our freedoms. December 15th marked the 21st anniversary of Maine wreaths being donated to be placed on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.
The Wreaths Across America's mission is to Remember, Honor and Teach. Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve including their families who sacrifice, and Teach our children the cost of the freedom we enjoy each day. It is our shared belief that...
'The nation which forgets its defenders will soon be forgotten.' Calvin Coolidge
Operation Stockings for Soldiers
Send our troops a little taste of home for the holidays, Peacock Funeral Home is proud to be one of the nearly 1000 participating in the annual Veteran's & Family Memorial Care "Christmas Stockings for Soldiers" initiative. "This is a great way for us to show our support for the troops by giving them some holiday cheer", says Clay Peacock, owner of Peacock Funeral Home. So please come help us spread the holiday cheer to those who won't be home for the holidays.
Operation Valentine
The Peacock Funeral Home would like to thank the community for their outpouring of support and overwhelming response to the Operation Valentine campaign last year. Over 300 'homemade' valentines were collected and sent overseas to our brave young men and women proudly serving our great nation. Listen to the radio and watch for updates following the Wreaths Across America and the Stockings for Soldiers' campaigns in January 2013.
As part of their membership in Veterans & Family Memorial Care, Peacock Funeral Home is also an official drop off center for Cell Phones for Soldiers. Please bring in your old cell phones to help our troops call home during the holiday season and anytime throughout the year. The old cell phones are recycled and turned into free calling cards for our heroes. VFMC Providers nationwide have collected enough old cell phones to provide the troops overseas with over One Million FREE calling minutes. Each phone provides one hour of free talk time allowing our heroes to stay connnected with family and friends back home.
Thank you so much for your continued support of Cell Phones for Soldiers. Your efforts have helped us provide more than 168 million minutes of free talktime since 2004.There is still a great need to provide this valuable communication to troops and their families. In addition, every day you hear about more and more troops coming home from serving in the Middle East. Moving forward, Cell Phones for Soldiers will be moving to the next level by expanding to help veterans. Helping Heroes Home, an initiative of Cell Phones for Soldiers, provides emergency funds for returning veterans to alleviate communication challenges as well as physical, emotional and assimilation hardships.
Their fight overseas may be finished … but their fight to reconnect back home has just begun.
Please help us by bringing in any phones that you have as soon as you can. Thank you again for supporting our different campaigns over the years.
Clay Peacock