Coast Guard Academy Columbarium Information

Inurnment Eligibility

There are ten categories of eligible candidates, but some general conditions apply. First, all authorized military personnel must have received Honorable Discharges and be eligible for military funeral honors. Second, all civilians or former military personnel must have carried out their lives in the same distinguished manner with the same decorum as that required for a military discharge under honorable conditions. Finally, a request to inurn an individual who does not meet the criteria below will not normally be approved. However, the Superintendent under exceptional circumstances after considering the applicant’s affinity and long-term association with the Academy can approve such an exception.

• Coast Guard Academy graduates honorably discharged/retired
• Military members stationed at the Coast Guard Academy on active duty at death
• Former Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, Commandants of Cadets, Deans of Academics, Directors of Admissions, Directors of Athletics, Mission Support Division Chiefs, Academy Command Master Chiefs, Commanding Officers of the Leadership Development Center, and Commanding Officers of USCGC EAGLE
• Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff
• Civilian faculty and staff members with at least 20 years of service at the Coast Guard Academy with a positive characterization of service
• Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees members with prior distinguished military service
• Medal of Honor recipients regardless of branch of service
• Retired members of the Coast Guard Band
• Other individuals, based on the individual’s affinity and long-term association with the Coast Guard Academy, as approved by the Superintendent following a review of the application and a recommendation from a standing committee reviewing inurnment requests
• Certain relatives of the above eligible individuals who are inurned or eligible to be inurned at the Academy Columbarium

Niche and Urn Details

The Academy’s Columbarium holds the cremains (ashes) of an individual in a series of niches (vaults). Niches will be assigned upon death by section in consecutive order, left to right, top to bottom. Each niche is approximately 8” high x 12” wide x 12” deep and can hold up to two urns, one for the sponsor and one for an eligible dependent. The preferred size for each urn is 5”h x 4”w x 11”d; however, several different urn shapes will fit. Urns must be made of a non-biodegradable material. Contact the Cemetery Responsible Official at columbarium@uscg.mil if you have questions.

Urns must be made of metal or other material impervious to moisture. Wooden urns are not permitted. Interment of partial cremains is not permitted; the inurned cremains must contain the identification disc or tag issued during cremation

To maintain the columbarium in a uniform and dignified manner, a standard inscription with standard size letters has been established for the polished red granite niche covers. The following lines for each person are:

1. Military rank (for retirees only), may state PROFESSOR for full professors;
2. Legal name, either FIRST MI LAST or FI MIDDLE LAST, may include “JR”, etc. (no nicknames);
3. Graduating class (if not a graduate, title or grounds of eligibility; ex: “CG BAND”, “ATHLETICS DIRECTOR”), omit for dependents;
4. Year of Birth – Year of Death.

Inurnment Services

There is significant latitude in what types of services may be performed at the columbarium. Unless you make other arrangements, the Cemetery Responsible Official will personally place the urn in the columbarium in a small, dignified ceremony which family members are welcome to attend. However, you may choose to coordinate a more elaborate ceremony at your own expense. The Academy Chapel or the services of the Academy’s Chaplains may be engaged as their schedules permit.

Military Funeral Honors are authorized by law for any veterans who have honorably served. Please be aware that Military Funeral Honors can only be provided once by law. If you choose to have them performed at a service separate from the columbarium inurnment, they will not be available at the inurnment itself. Our Cemetery Responsible Official can assist you in submitting the appropriate request. They can be contacted at columbarium@uscg.mil.

The columbarium is open year round; however, snow can make services impractical during winter months.

Columbarium Service Options:

• Guidance through the process by the Cemetery Responsible Official
• Military Honors/ Procurement of a Flag
• Receiving Cremated Remains
• Chapel
• Chaplains
• Chairs
• Parking reservations
• Reception*

* Costs associated with these items

Securing a Niche

There is no charge for inurnment in the Academy Columbarium. Niches are assigned and eligibility confirmed at time of need, and niches may not be reserved in advance. In order to start the process of securing a niche, the Cemetery Responsible Official will need to review eligibility documents (normally form DD-214 for veterans). In addition to the proof of eligibility, a death certificate and cremation certificate for the deceased must be provided.

To ensure uniformity of the niche engravings, the Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association contracts with a third-party engraver to ensure standardization. Upon columbarium eligibility review, the Cemetery Responsible Official will provide contact information for the Alumni Association representative who will coordinate the engraving. There is a fee for the engraving services, determined by the Alumni Association.