Marine Caskets

Available Styles of Marine Caskets

One style of marine casket available is made of 18-gauge steel. The interior is lined with black velvet with red piping. The exterior of the casket is also finished with red piping. The Marine Corps emblem is featured on the cap panel of the interior of the casket, as well as the exterior of the casket.

Another style available is white in color, and decorated with the Marine Corps emblem and motto. The interior is white and features white crepe fabric.

Funeral Honors for a Fallen Marine

Military funeral honors will be given to a current or former Marine upon request by the deceased soldier's family. This includes an honor guard composed of a minimum of two members of the Armed Forces. One of the honor guard members will be from the Marine Corps.

Honor Guard

The honor guard will fold and present a flag to the next of kin. Taps will be played, either by a bugler attending the funeral service or from an audio recording. This service is provided by the military at no charge to the soldier's family.

Playing Taps

This bugle call has tremendous potential to create an emotional response from the listener any time it is played. It was written during the Civil War by General Daniel Adams Butterfield. General Butterfield wanted to change the song troops heard at the end of each day from "Lights Out" to something a bit more formal.

He composed the tune himself and asked his bulger, Oliver Wilcox Norton, to play it. Norton did so, and the tune was eventually used by all the branches of the military. Taps has been a part of military funeral traditions since 1891.

Presidential Memorial Certificate

The family of a deceased, honorably discharged member of the armed forces may request a Presidential Memorial Certificate, which acknowledges the contribution made by the deceased veteran or soldier and is signed by the President of the United States.

Family members will find an application form for a PMC posted on the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site. Please note that proof of honorable discharge must accompany the application form.

Flag Draping the Casket

In a tradition that started during the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1815), the casket for a fallen marine is covered with the U.S. flag. The flag is positioned in such a way that the blue field is at the head of the casket. It is rested over the left shoulder of the body. The flag is removed from the casket before the actual burial takes place, and great care is taken that the flag never touches the ground.

The Vigil

After the graveside service has been completed, the friends and family members of the deceased person leave the cemetery. One soldier remains at the site, standing watch until the burial is completed.

Arranging a Military Funeral

If your loved one served in any branch of the military (either on active duty or in the Reserves) and was either currently enlisted or honorably discharged, they are eligible for military funeral honors. Your funeral director will know who to contact to make the necessary arrangements on behalf of your family. You will also need to locate the deceased soldier's discharge documents to confirm they were honorably discharged.

Marine caskets are just one way to pay tribute to a deceased loved one who was a member of the Corps. Whether you choose this style of burial container or a more traditional option, his or her contribution to the service can be recognized if the family requests military honors at the funeral service.