Death Benefits, Retirement Pay, and Military Funeral Honors – Oahu

Written By Hollie Thomas

The death of a Veteran or military retiree requires timely notification to the appropriate federal agency to ensure benefits are handled properly and surviving family members receive the support to which they may be entitled. The information below provides publicly available contact numbers and official website links for reporting a death, addressing retirement pay matters, and arranging military funeral honors.

This information is provided as a public resource guide and does not replace official government instructions or legal advice. Benefit eligibility and entitlements vary based on service status, length of service, disability rating, and Survivor Benefit Plan enrollment. Families should contact the appropriate agency directly to confirm eligibility and required documentation.

  • The death of a Veteran or military retiree requires timely notification to the appropriate federal and military agencies to ensure benefits are handled properly and surviving family members receive the support and entitlements due to them. Prompt reporting helps stop benefit payments (to prevent overpayment), initiates survivor benefit processes, and connects families with assistance and honors they may be entitled to.

    Below is guidance on who should be contacted and how.

    If the deceased was receiving military retirement pay, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) must be notified immediately.

    Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
    Phone: 800-321-1080
    Website: https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/survivors/

    Important: Retirement payments typically stop upon death. Survivors should contact DFAS promptly to avoid overpayments that may need to be repaid.

    DFAS can provide information regarding:

    • Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments
    • Final pay matters
    • Arrears of pay
    • Required documentation

    1. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

    The VA must be notified so benefit payments (disability compensation, pension, etc.) can be stopped promptly and survivor benefits initiated. You may report a death:

    • By phone:1-800-698-2411 (1-800-MyVA411) and select option for reporting deaths and benefits; TTY: 711.

    • In person: At the Honolulu Regional Office — 459 Patterson Road, E-Wing, Honolulu, HI 96819.

    • By mail: Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.

    Reporting as soon as possible helps avoid overpayments and ensures survivor claims like dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) are processed.

    2. Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) — Retired Pay

    For retirees receiving retired pay and/or enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP):

    • Report online: use the DFAS askDFAS Notification of Death form (available 24/7).

    • Report by phone:1-800-321-1080 (Casualty Care Team).

    • Other DFAS assistance numbers: 888-332-7411 (answer prompts for retiree death).

    Reporting to DFAS stops retired pay and initiates processing of final pay (arrears of pay) and Survivor Benefit Plan claims.

    3. Casualty Assistance Offices (CAO) — Military Branches & Local Oahu Contacts

    In addition to federal agencies, surviving family members should notify the appropriate Casualty Assistance Office for the branch of service to assist with next-of-kin notification, benefits coordination, and arrangements like military funeral honors.

    Oahu & Hawaii Casualty Assistance Contacts

    From the Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services (military honors points of contact):

    For active duty and retiree Army matters, the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii Casualty Assistance Center at Schofield Barracks also serves surviving families by providing benefits briefings, arranging military honors with funeral homes, and coordinating travel and mortuary affairs. Phone: 808-787-1065 / 808-787-1061 / 808-787-1062; after-hours emergency support: 808-787-3157 or 808-271-7032.

    4. State & Local Veteran Support Resources (Oahu)

    It’s often helpful for families to connect with local veteran service organizations and state offices for additional benefits counseling, burial planning, and paperwork support:

    • State Office of Veterans’ Services – Tripler Army Medical Center Office: (808) 433-0420

    • Daniel Kahikina Akaka VA Clinic – Kapolei: (808) 458-5072

    These offices can help direct survivors to federal, state, and community resources.

    5. Other Important Notifications

    In addition to the agencies above, survivors should also notify as applicable:

    • Social Security Administration: 1-800-772-1213 (for survivor benefits).

    • TRICARE/health insurance providers (to cancel coverage or determine eligibility for continued coverage).

    • Life insurance carriers (e.g., Veterans Group Life Insurance).

    • Military OneSource and veteran support nonprofits like Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) at 1-800-959-8277 for grief support and peer-based resources.

  • If the deceased Veteran was enrolled in VA health care or receiving VA disability compensation or pension benefits, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should be notified.

    VA Benefits Hotline
    800-827-1000
    Website: https://www.va.gov/survivors/

    VA may provide:

    • Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
    • Survivor pension
    • Burial allowance (if eligible)
    • Headstone or marker
    • Presidential Memorial Certificate

    Families can also visit the VA website for burial benefits information:

    https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/Description text goes here

  • Eligible Veterans are entitled to military funeral honors at no cost to the family.

    Military funeral honors typically include:

    • Folding and presentation of the U.S. flag
    • Playing of Taps
    • Honor guard detail (when available)

    Funeral homes usually coordinate military honors directly with the appropriate branch of service.

    Families may also contact the service branch casualty assistance office for guidance. Please see the section on casualty assistance offices.

  • National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl)

    The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) is a United States national cemetery located within Puowaina Crater in Honolulu and serves as a final resting place for eligible veterans, active duty service members, and qualifying spouses and dependents. For eligible families, the VA provides a gravesite or columbarium niche, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual care at no cost.

    Scheduling Burial Services

    Burial services are requested through the National Cemetery Scheduling Office, which confirms eligibility through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs before arrangements are finalized.

    National Cemetery Scheduling Office
    (800) 535-1117

    Schedule Online:
    https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/schedule-a-burial/

    In most cases, the funeral home will coordinate scheduling once eligibility is confirmed.

    Eligibility Verification Assistance (State Support)

    Families who need assistance verifying eligibility may also contact the Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS) Cemetery Program. Verification requires the veteran’s DD-214 or other official discharge documentation showing service under conditions other than dishonorable, along with basic identifying information.

    OVS Cemetery Program
    (808) 433-0420

    Website:
    https://dod.hawaii.gov/ovs/cemeteries/

    Funeral homes typically submit documentation and coordinate directly with the appropriate office, but families may also contact OVS to confirm qualifying service and available burial options.

    Location & Contact Information

    National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
    2177 Puowaina Drive
    Honolulu, HI 96813

    Phone: (808) 532-3720

    Website:
    https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/nmcp.asp

  • Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery — Kāneʻohe

    The Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kāneʻohe is a honored burial site for U.S. Armed Forces veterans and their eligible family members, providing gravesites or columbarium inurnment, a cemetery-provided marker, and perpetual care at no cost. Burial eligibility generally mirrors federal standards: veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, active-duty deaths, qualifying Reserve/National Guard service, and dependent family members (spouses and eligible children) may be interred here.

    Scheduling Burial and Verifying Eligibility

    Burial services are scheduled through the Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services (OVS) Cemetery Program, which must verify eligibility before a burial date is set. Verification requires the veteran’s official service discharge documentation (such as DD-214 or VA Statement of Service) showing character of discharge, along with basic identifying details like full name, branch of service, dates of service, date of birth, and date of death. Funeral homes typically submit this documentation and coordinate interment scheduling on behalf of families, but families may also contact the office directly.

    OVS Cemetery Program Phone: (808) 369-3575

    OVS Cemetery Program Website:
    https://dod.hawaii.gov/ovs/cemeteries/

    Location & Contact

    Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery
    45-349 Kamehameha Highway
    Kāneʻohe, HI 96744

    Phone: (808) 369-3575

    Website:
    https://dod.hawaii.gov/ovs/cemeteries/

  • Casualty Assistance Offices provide direct support to surviving family members following the death of a service member, Veteran, or military retiree. Casualty Assistance Officers help families understand entitlements, coordinate military funeral honors, and navigate survivor benefits.

    If unsure which number to call, families may start with the national service hotline for the Veteran’s branch of service.

    National Casualty Assistance Offices (24/7)

    Army Casualty Assistance

    Phone: 888-276-9472
    Website: https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Casualty%20&%20Mortuary%20Operations%20Center

    Air Force / Space Force Casualty Assistance

    Phone: 800-531-5501
    Website: https://www.afpc.af.mil/Casualty-Assistance/

    Navy / Marine Corps Casualty Assistance

    Phone: 866-827-5672
    Website: https://www.npc.navy.mil/Casualty/

    Coast Guard Casualty Assistance

    Phone: 855-475-4737
    Website: https://www.uscg.mil/Resources/Casualty-Assistance/

    Local Oahu Casualty Assistance Contacts

    Families located on Oahu may also contact the installation Casualty Assistance Office directly for assistance with funeral honors coordination and local support.

    Army – U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii (Schofield Barracks)

    Phone: 808-787-1065
    Alternate: 808-787-1061 / 808-787-1062
    After Hours Emergency: 808-787-3157

    Navy – Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam

    Phone: 808-590-8383

    Air Force – Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam

    Phone: 808-448-0108

    Marine Corps – Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay

    Phone: 808-257-7712

    Hawaii Army National Guard

    Phone: 808-672-1223

Hollie Thomas https://www.theovc.org
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