Everything You Need to Know About Your DD214
If you are a veteran, where is your DD214? What’s a DD214? It’s a very important document you received when you were released from military service. This document contains very important details about your military service, and it is needed when funeral arrangements are made. When I meet with a veteran to preplan their funeral, occasionally it is the one document they don’t have and can’t find. And sometimes, when planning a funeral service for a deceased veteran, the family does not have a copy and cannot locate the DD214. I often hear, “It may be in the box of papers someplace and we have no idea what it looks like.” Unfortunately, military services can’t be planned without this paper. This document is needed to prove that you served in the military: medals, pictures, and old uniforms don’t count. You need the DD214. For a surviving veteran, proof of service is needed to apply for veterans medical benefits, assistance if the veteran or surviving spouse are admitted to a long-term
