MIAP Step by Step Instructions
Step by step instructions for each new or older volunteers. Please read over and if you have any questions, contact Linda Smith at sailormom@miap.us.
1. Make an appointment with the funeral home director.
2. Sign release/liability form and give to funeral director, explain MIAP ie, we are insured, all info is kept strictly confidential etc.
3. Funeral home decides how and the date the inventory is to take place. Inventory cremains. NOTE: any cremains awaiting death of spouse, may be inventoried but not included in burial. If the funeral home wishes to do the inventory themselves, just let them know that you need the date of birth, date of death and social security number if available. Ask that they put the inventory on a spreadsheet for easier handling.
4. Pull only the records of the cremains inventoried. NOTE: If you find a DD-214 or military discharge certificate, scan or copy and keep as this is an official verification. Do not send to NCSEO. SEE #8
5. Either enter information into the secure database on a laptop at funeral home or fill out the cremains sheet to enter into database later. Once info is in database, all hardcopies are destroyed.
6. If you have the full name, date of birth, date of death and social security number fill out the National Cemetery Scheduling Office verification form (on line) on each cremain. Only name of cremain goes in the subject line. E-mail to eligibility.miap@va.gov. Change cremains category to “Awaiting Verification”.
7. When all verifications are returned from National Cemetery Scheduling Office, take or e-mail to funeral home so they may pull the cremains of the veterans verified. A registered letter must be sent to the last known legal next of kin of each veteran either by the funeral home or MIAP if funeral home provides the name and address. If no next of kin, a notice in the local newspaper is done. At least a 30 day wait is required unless otherwise instructed by state law.
8. The DD-214 is to be e-mailed to nca.scheduling@va.gov along with any other St. Louis verifications on the day or day before you call to schedule the funeral. The number to call is 1 800-535-1117. Check with the funeral home first for a date good for them.
9. Once date is scheduled, go into database and change cremain category to “mission scheduled”.
10. Let the cemetery know that all headstones are to have “YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN” on them.
11. Let cemetery know that you will need pall barriers, honor guard and if you don’t have an MIAP chaplain, have the cemetery provide one. In a few cases, the cemetery may not have access to honor guards etc. In a case like that, contact your American Legion. Most will able to provide what you need for a full military honors funeral. NOTE: Military will not provide pall barriers or flags for eligible wives or children. You will need to provide volunteers to carry them.
12. If the funeral home agrees, you may invite media.
13. You may invite other organizations to stand flag line, or to honor the veterans.
14. Once burial is complete, go into database and change the veteran’s category to Mission Complete annotating section and site number for each veteran.
15. Send Linda Smith sailormom@miap.us an after-action report.
GENEALOGISTS STEP BY STEP.
1. Choose a name in the database under either “No Action” or “Needs more Research”. Change the category of that name to “Genealogy Search”. Genealogy Search means someone is working on that name so no one else will bother it.
2. Begin your genealogy search. Once you have finished your research and if you have at least the date of birth, date of death, social security number or service number, change category to “Ready for Verification at NCSEO”.
3. Notify the State Coordinator or person who entered the name (found in database under “entered by”). Their e-mail address is on the website under “Contact us”. The State Coordinator or person who entered the name will send verification request to NCSEO and change category to “Awaiting Verification”
4. If you cannot find information on your name, change the category back to “Needs more Research”.
5. You are now done with that name and may begin with another name.
6. GENEALOGISTS DO NOT TRY TO LOCATE NEXT OF KIN. THE LEGAL NEXT OF KIN WILL BE ON THE DEATH CERTIFICATE IN THE FUNERAL HOME AND WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THEM. Genealogist’s job is to find enough information on the person they are working on to obtain veterans’ status from NCSEO which is date of birth, date of death, social security number, service number or any military information.
7. Genealogists, volunteers or State Coordinators that do anything in another state other than their own must notify that state’s State Coordinator. If no State Coordinator is listed or a reply is not forthcoming, contact Linda Smith at sailormom@miap.us