Virtually Visit Your Loved One with our Casket Flag Program

Those who served or are currently serving in the armed forces deserve the utmost in respect and gratitude. Many in the armed forces serve their country and return home, while others, lose their lives in the line of duty. Every loss is a wound time can only partially heal. Following their passing, it is our job to ensure they are remembered, and honored.

When an active duty member of the military services or a veteran passes away, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a flag to drape the casket or to accompany the urn of the deceased Veteran. The flag is provided to honor the memory of the Veteran’s service to his or her country, and to provide a lasting memorial for those left behind. After the memorial service, the flag is folded 13 times into a triangle of very specific measurements, as provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is said that the flag is folded thirteen times to remember the original thirteen colonies. The triangular shape of the folded flag is representative of the tri-corner hat commonly worn during the Revolutionary War, and the stars are at the top to remind us of the United States’ motto “In God We Trust”. You will often see these flags displayed in a triangular wood and glass case, frequently with a custom-engraved name plate and space for medals and insignia.

After the service, the memorial flag is typically presented to the spouse or next of kin of the deceased veteran. If there is no next of kin, a friend of the deceased vet can request the flag from the VA. Some cemeteries have an “Avenue of Flags” where the flags of the veterans are flown on patriotic holidays.

While many families prefer to display the flag in their home, White Haven Memorial Park in Pittsford, NY,  offers another option to honor those veterans throughout the year. Anyone who has a casket flag presented to the family at the time of burial may donate the flag to White Haven so that we may fly the flag in their honor for one or more months each year. During this month, the flag is shown on White Haven’s webcam so that anyone with a loved one buried here can virtually “visit” at any time to see the flag flying proudly. This “virtual” visit is a wonderful way for family and friends who don’t live close enough to visit to reconnect with their loved one on a regular basis, and to remember and honor their service to our country.

Serving the Rochester, NY area since 1929, our mission at White Haven Memorial Park is to provide unparallelled service, beautifully kept grounds, and a wide selection of burial options to every family that reaches out to us. If you would like more information, please call us at 585-586-5250, or visit us online. 

Honoring Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

Here in the United States we are blessed to have so many freedoms.  But often we forget that the freedom we enjoy also came with a huge price – the lives of countless men and women who died in the line of duty to protect our rights.  At White Haven Memorial Park, we never want to forget or take for granted these freedoms or the sacrifices that were made on our behalf.

With that in mind, we are proud to announce that our memorial park, located in Rochester, has been chosen to be the official site of the Gold Star Families Memorial in New York State.  In addition to being another way to honor these fallen men and women, this stunning memorial of polished black granite was designed specifically to recognize the families who now live on without them.  It is to be a quiet place of solace and reflection for families, friends and anyone who has lost a loved one in service to our nation. The monument will be a fitting addition to our Park, which already has three large burial areas dedicated to all who have served.  It will be located just across the road from our other major veterans memorial in honor of those who served in the Korean War.

At White Haven, we know that families of service members also serve as they wait and worry while their loved ones bravely serve our country.  They also sacrifice when that loved one is lost and their home is left with a permanent void.  We want to pay tribute to these families and thank them for the many sacrifices they also have made so their loved ones could protect our freedom.

Please join us on Friday June 10, 2016 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. as we dedicate New York’s Gold Star Families Memorial. In addition to honoring our fallen service members and their families during this special ceremony we will welcome three Medal of Honor recipients, including Herschel Williams, and be joined by various officials from Rochester and the surrounding areas.  If you can’t join us for the ceremony, please plan to visit soon to see this stunning memorial.  Just follow the signs from the main entrance.  Feel free to contact us for more information.