Clarifying Honors Procedures at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery (OWRNC)

To help ensure families understand the process when planning services at OWRNC, we would like to provide the following clarification.

Families or funeral homes must request Department of the Army (DOW) honors, which include Taps and the folding and presentation of the flag.

Rifle volleys are not part of the DOW honors detail. They are performed by volunteer rifle teams. Because these teams are made up of volunteers, their presence cannot be guaranteed by the cemetery or by our organization.

If multiple veterans are scheduled for services at the same time, volunteer teams may only be able to support one service. For this reason, families who wish to include rifle volleys are encouraged to coordinate directly with a local veteran rifle team in advance.

By Public Law 106-65, an honor guard detail for burial of an eligible Veteran shall consist of at least two members of the armed forces. One member of the detail shall be a representative of the Veteran’s branch of service. At a minimum, the ceremony will include the playing of Taps and folding and presentation of the American flag to the next of kin. Veteran Service Organization (VSO’s) may assist in providing elements of a rifle detail but are not required.

While this process may differ from what some families have seen in the past or heard from other sources, it reflects the reality that many of the volunteer groups who provide these honors are aging and facing declining membership.

Because of this, veterans are strongly encouraged to pre-plan their services whenever possible. Pre-planning helps ensure that families understand available honors and can coordinate any additional ceremonial elements they would like included.

If you have questions about honors or planning a service, please consult with your funeral home or complete a pre-need form on the resource page.

Rifle Teams: If you are part of a rifle team interested in volunteering at OWRNC, we welcome additional support. Please contact us at volunteers@ohiowesternreserveladies.org

Kat Johnson is the Co-founder and Executive Chairwoman of Ohio Western Reserve Ladies. She is a multi-generational military family member and Northeast Ohio–based founder of Oxygen Coaching Group. Whether through government partnerships, organizational consulting, or volunteer mobilization, her work centers on aligning systems and people so service delivery becomes both effective and deeply human.