As many of you know, my dad passed away last September, after a long battle with vascular dementia and we’ve held off having a service until we could gather family members together at the same time. Since Dad was a Veteran, having served overseas in World War II, he was eligible for burial services at one of the many national cemeteries in the country. There are nine of these cemeteries located throughout Florida, with several already filled to capacity.
Visitors’ Center
We chose one of the newest facilities at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, adjacent to Titusville. Since we were dealing with cremains, we were able to get an appointment for a service fairly quick, through DeGusipe Funeral Home, in Maitland. I know this is an unusual subject for a review, but, when in the vulnerable position of planning funerals for our loved ones, it’s important to find a trustworthy business to handle the details of death.
We can’t say enough about DeGusipe in terms of personal service and cost. Arrangements had been made, and paid for, in advance so it was just a matter of a phone call and they took care of everything the day dad passed. When we were ready to schedule a service, DeGusipe took care of that, too, and secured a flag.
The Veterans’ Administration offers burial benefits which include the actual burial, an inscribed headstone, marker, or medallion and American flag to drape over the casket or, as in our case for an inurnment, be folded and presented to the surviving spouse or family member. The whole process was seamless and, upon arriving at the visitor’s center, mom was asked to fill out some forms then a military escort instructed us to follow her, in our cars, as a caravan, to a committal shelter. There we handed over dad’s ashes and the flag to two young women in uniform. We were seated and the service began with the military silent folding and presentation of the flag, followed by the playing of Taps. It was a short, sweet ceremony but a great lesson for the grandkids. Even the tiny ones remained silent through the whole process, somehow aware that this was a solemn moment.
Afterward, a representative of the Cape Canaveral Ladies presented mom with a card thanking her for dad’s service to the country as a Veteran. A member of this group shows up to every funeral, even if family members or friends cannot be present. Their purpose is to “honor those who have served our nation: to assist, accompany and promote a sympathetic relationship with veterans and their families at the interment services as needed.”
We all gathered for lunch at Dixie Crossroads, in Titusville and, speaking for myself, experienced a feeling of finality as we knew dad would have approved of the service, not to mention the lunch. Dad was the youngest and last surviving sibling of a big family, in a generation that survived the Great Depression as children, and World War II as young adults. There aren’t many left from this time so we need to preserve and honor their memories…and the people at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery did just that.