Academy Funeral Support
West Point Cemetery Arrangements
To make arrangements with the West Point Cemetery, either the family or the funeral director should contact:
West Point Cemetery Memorial Affairs Office
329 Washington Road
West Point, NY 10996
memorialaffairs@westpoint.edu
845.938.2504
The Memorial Affairs Office will assist the family in arranging a date for burial or inurnment, contact West Point Chapels for services, and contact military personnel responsible for the Band, Military Honors and Escorts.
Funeral Services Provided by USMA Memorial Affairs Officer:
- Chapel service followed by a grave site committal service or a graveside committal service only according to family preference.
Chapel/Chaplain — If a chaplain is requested, the Memorial Affairs Office will contact the chaplain’s office, indicate your preference, and reserve the requested chapel. The chaplains provide support for funerals as an extension of their support to the Corps of Cadets and always do so to the best of their abilities. However, as this is an additional duty, they may not be able to provide the same extended pastoral care as the family’s local clergy. The chaplain or a member of his/her staff will contact you to discuss the service.
Music — An organist is requested by the Memorial Affairs Office for all chapel services. If the family desires a vocalist, it is recommended that they contact the Organist/Choirmaster directly at 845.938.7352. While the chaplain’s and organist’s services are provided without cost, there is a charge if you request a vocalist.
Note: For Catholic funerals, in keeping with liturgical requirements of the church, all music in the chapel must be live. The Catholic Chapel Music Director and Organist work very closely with families to choose appropriate music for the service.
- For military members, funeral honors that are either full or full plus:
- Full Honors — firing party, the colors, bugler and drummer.
- Full Honors “Plus” (Gereral Officer and Active Duty deaths) – above plus Howitzer fire (general officers only) and a detachment from the West Point Band.
Flags —A flag will be provided to the next-of-kin at West Point funerals. If a memorial service is held away from West Point, or if the burial is at another non-military location, the funeral director should have the necessary information to ensure that a flag is provided. Flags can be obtained at most Post Offices or Veterans’ Affairs Offices by providing a copy of the death certificate and the DD-214.
In addition to funeral honors for military members, representatives from the Association of Graduates and from the Superintendent’s office attend the service. The family is not responsible for coordinating these representatives.
- If services are held in a chapel prior to inurnment in either of the columbaria, the committal service is held either adjacent to the Old Cadet Chapel in Section XI or near the office in Section XVIII..
Preparation & Transportation of the Remains
The family will be charged by their local funeral home for preparation of the remains. Caskets and alternative containers range greatly in price. The local funeral director will also charge professional fees for his or her services.
If the family wishes to have all services in the West Point area funeral home, it is possible to ship the remains directly to that home for preparation. The USMA Memorial Affairs Office at 845.938.2504 can assist you with finding a local funeral home and making arrangements for the transportation of remains.
A licensed funeral director must claim the casketed remains from the airport and transport them back to the funeral home. There are many funeral homes in the vicinity of West Point. Your local funeral director has a listing of all licensed funeral directors in the United States.
Fees vary greatly in the WP area for receiving remains from another funeral home. Other services included are: the transfer of remains to the funeral home, securing necessary authorizations, the services of the funeral director, and local transportation to the WP Cemetery.
The WP Cemetery does not require a concrete vault for the casket. If the family wishes to have one, it would be at their expense. It is the responsibility of the funeral director to make the necessary arrangements.
For in-ground burial of cremated remains, there are no restrictions on size and type of urn. However, for cremains to be placed in the either of the columbaria, there are size restrictions. For the Old Cadet Chapel columbarium, an urn must be ordered from Armento Liturgical Arts at
716.875.2423. A brass nameplate will be included. A nameplate will be engraved by West Point staff prior to the service. Please keep the blank nameplate with the urn – the cemetery staff will use it to replenish their stock.
The cremains can be hand-delivered by the family up to one hour prior to the service or mailed to a local funeral home who will hand deliver them to the West Point Cemetery for a small fee.
Be aware that funeral directors are required by the Federal Trade Commission to send a detailed price list of the maximum prices they charge for services to the family, if requested.
WPAOG Support for burials at West Point
The WPAOG Memorial Services Coordinator assists the families of West Point Graduates who are being buried at the West Point Cemetery. Upon receiving notification from the USMA Memorial Affairs Office, the Memorial Services Coordinator at WPAOG will contact the next-of-kin to notify him or her of the assistance available to the bereaved family.
The Memorial Services Coordinator is knowledgeable about a myriad of local services relevant to the burial and can provide information about: Funeral Homes, Florists, Lodging, Transportation (shuttle services from local airports and rental car agencies), Restaurants, Reception Venues, Photography
Contact WPAOG Memorial Support at 845.446.1620 or memorial.support@wpaog.org
Note: this program is intended to supplement the funeral services already provided by the USMA Memorial Affairs Office.
The WPAOG Office of Class Services will also contact and notify the Class leadership and Classmates living in the area. Further, a member of the WPAOG Executive Staff attends the burial of a graduate and presents a card of condolence to the widow/widower/next of kin.
Click here for more details regarding WPAOG Funeral Services Support