Burials at sea remain an option for active duty, retired, and honorably
discharged members of the uniformed services, as well as for their family
members. During wartime, especially through the World War II period,
burials at sea were necessary for the obvious reasons. Today, airlift to
land and on-board preservation of remains are possible, however many
veterans choose to be buried at sea, especially those who have served 
at
sea. One survivor of the USS Arizona was laid to rest among his crew mates
by divers. During the Pacific campaign
there were some instances where deceased aircrews were buried at sea in the
remains of their damaged aircraft, which was ceremonially pushed overboard
from their aircraft carrier.
If the deceased died on land or has been returned to shore after death, the
remains may be brought aboard either in a coffin or in an urn after
cremation. The ceremony is performed while the ship is deployed, so
civilians are not allowed to be present, but may receive photos and video of
the ceremony, which normally includes bringing the ship to full stop,
setting flags on half mast, and assembly of the crew, firing squad, casket
bearers, and a bugler. The coffin (or, historically, weighted sailcloth) is
covered with a flag and must be carried feet-first.
The ceremony has both military and religious parts, the latter being
specific to the religion of the deceased. After the religious ceremony, the
firing party presents arms and the casket bearers tilt the platform so the
casket slides into the ocean. The flag is retained on board. The firing
squad fires three volleys, the bugler plays Taps, and flowers may be dropped
into the ocean. After the flag is folded, the ceremony ends.
Recommended Resources
| Websites | |
| Dept. of the Navy - Naval Historical Center Website |
Video:
Burial at sea aboard the USS Vandegrift 12 minutes (drop to the sea
begins about 08:10) |
| List of Spanish-American War Veterans buried at sea Website |
USN Report of a burial at sea aboard USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), Dec. 5, 2006 Report |
| United States Navy Mortuary Affairs Burial At Sea Program Website |
USN Report of a burial at sea aboard USS Stennis (CVN 74), Feb. 15, 2006 Report |
| USN Report of a burial at sea aboard USS Chaffee (DDG 90), Jun. 10, 2005 Report | |
| Books and Other Media | ||
| Book Naval Ceremonies, Customs, and Traditions |
Wood-Framed Poster From National Archive |
Poster, 8"x10" From National Archive |
Test Your Knowledge
This test covers the information in this article. Read each question and decide in your head what the answer is. Click the empty cell in the last column to see the correct answer.
| Burial at Sea | Civilians are often present at US Navy burials at sea: True or False? | False - burials at sea take place during an actual deployment, therefore civilians are generally not present. |
| Is the deceased carried headfirst or feet first? | Feet first |
Click Here to go to the "Test Your Knowledge" page covering all articles included in this week's theme on DailyUSHistory.com.
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