Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Last Salute possesses 2 Civil War artillery cannons that are used to honor our fallen. They have been fired by multiple Medal of Honor recipients, Congressmen, Senators, the Attorney General of The United States and many other dignitaries. You can read more about our cannons, the "Jaime Lee" and the "Mike D" plus see photos and video HERE

Yes we do. Last Salute is an all volunteer joint services Honor Guard. A joint service Honor Guard is the highest honor and we have veteran volunteers from all branches.

Last Salute is a dedicated group of all volunteer military veterans committed to providing our fallen brothers and sisters with dignified and appropriate final services.

As with any request pertaining to military honors, we require proof of service. This is typically in the form of a DD 214 (discharge). If you need to obtain a DD 214 please use this link; DD214

You can contact us directly or have your funeral director contact us.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 609.780.7432

Last Salute does not charge for funeral honors but does rely solely upon donations. We are not paid or funded by any group or the government.

People often ask, "how much should I donate"?  We don't like to make a specific recommendation but would like you to consider what other components of the funeral cost.  People who charge a fee like a bagpiper or clergy usually require $350.  The amount of effort, preparedness and cost incurred by the elaborate services Last Salute provides from the stationing of military vehicles to the firing of cannon, far exceeds those of a piper or clergy.  We do not expect a large donation but feel our services deserve at least what others require.

We will be adding a page with "Behind the scenes" photos and information soon so that you can see just how much work goes into each ceremony long before we ever get to the cemetery.

Your generosity is greatly appreciated as it helps us to continue to provide these important services. Please use the donate button or link to help us continue our mission.

There are a number of honor ceremony levels to choose from. The standard Last Salute honor ceremony includes, One of our 2 “12 Pounder Mountain Howitzer” – Civil War cannons the “Jaime Lee” or the “Mike D” will fire a single volley, the tolling of our memorial bell 3 times, 3 volleys fired from the rifle team (when rifle team is available), the playing of Taps, the folding and presentation of a memorial flag.

If you prefer, The basic honor ceremony includes the playing of Taps followed by the folding and presentation of a memorial flag to the next of kin.

Last Salute's Humvee Caisson conducts a dignified transfer at the Battleship New Jersey

The most elaborate service includes the addition of military vehicle transport (Caissson, dignified transfer) from the church or funeral home to the cemetery. This is done using a late model up armored military slant back Humvee which is equipped with a machine gun turret and M1102 artillery trailer adapted for carrying a flag draped casket. This option is also available for urns as we have a modified urn casket. At Arlington, a horse drawn artillery trailer is used. The practice of honoring a fallen warrior in this way started in the Napoleonic Wars. The cannon's ammunition (powder) resupply trailer was used.

The most moving part of a Last Salute honors ceremony is the “Prayer Box”, a perpetual caisson. It is part of every ceremony we conduct. Please read about it at the link below.

Read about our Prayer Box

Your funeral director should provide a flag. If you have any problems obtaining a flag please let us know.

Currently we conduct services primarily in Atlantic County NJ. In some cases we will travel to Cape May County Veterans Cemetery depending upon which funeral home you are working with. We will also potentially provide service to lower Ocean County and parts of Cumberland County. We only have so much manpower and must also take into consideration the cost of travel. A Humvee pulling a trailer with a cannon in it requires more fuel and is charged more for tolls. We are working hard to expand services and have even secured a second cannon to start another Honor Guard unit.

This answer requires its own page so please click HERE to see what happens and what to expect at a military funeral.

You can read some of the many letters that we are extremely honored to receive HERE. There are also some online comments HERE. You can also view the comments on the Last Salute YouTube channel where we post videos of some of the ceremonies.

We will not provide "double honors". If there is an Honor Guard already scheduled to conduct services for you, they will be the sole unit detailed to your funeral service. You must be clear with your funeral director that Last Salute is conducting honors and they are NOT to contact the military directly. If you would like us to include members of another veteran's service organization such as the VFW or American Legion, we will be happy to do so. We often include uniformed family members to make the service more personal. We can also include fire or police units. In the event that we include anyone at all, they must follow our directions and all commands given on the field. We do not modify the order in which the ceremony components are rendered or change any protocol. If you choose Last Salute to conduct honors, you must make sure that NO ONE interferes with our procedures.

Last Salute reserves the right to refuse to provide services for any reason without explanation. Typically ceremony requests are approved unless the condition of discharge does not warrant approval or there is a scheduling conflict.

Last Salute's primary mission is to provide military funeral honor ceremonies. We do occasionally appear and assist with events that honor veterans and/or first responders. Last Salute will not appear at any event to promote, enrich or further any person, political party, commercial business or service. This is non-negotiable. If you would like to ask us about your event, email [email protected]   Last Salute exhibitions require a fee.  While we do not charge for funeral ceremonies, there is a fee for appearing at events.  The fee is based upon type of event, distance, etc.  The minimum donation is $500.

Our mission is to honor the fallen and comfort their families. It is in their memory that we conduct these final honors. Last Salute focuses its ceremonial honors with deep respect for our fallen brethren and their service. All aspects and details of our ceremonies are a humble tribute to the honorable service of those we honor. Just as the “Tomb Guard” at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in Arlington wears no rank so that no guard outranks those they honor, Last Salute’s Sgt. at Arms Chuck Knutson wears no ribbons or medals in deference to the distinctions awarded the fallen. The Sgt. at Arms states, "we must humble ourselves before the mission and appear plain but professional. The focus must be on the final act of presenting the memorial flag and not on a colorful distracting display as I present this final honor".

Last Salute is an all veteran all volunteer organization. We are not paid at all and do these services to honor our fallen and comfort their families because we care deeply about the military service they performed. We ask that you respect the process and our commitment by being punctual as our members dedicate many hours to provide these ceremonies.

You must be very clear with your funeral director that you have chosen Last Salute to conduct military honors for your loved one and that they should not contact or schedule anyone else. You must also be clear that they are not to interfere or impede with the honors ceremony. Tell them that you expect them to conduct themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner. We work with many funeral homes and they are incredibly dignified and thoughtful people who want you and your family to be able to honor your loved one as you wish. It is extremely rare that a funeral director interferes with the Honor Guard. It is only addressed here to insist that our personnel are treated with the respect which they deserve.

Remember, a valid DD214 or proof of military service must be provided to us.

We ask that you bring a prayer card or small photograph on the day of the ceremony for our "Prayer Box"

Please remind everyone to be considerate of our time and to be punctual.

Last Salute prides itself in professional and dignified conduct.  We are volunteers providing you an elegant and elaborate service. We ask that everyone attending conducts themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner.