Burial at Sea: Procedures & History

• Burial at sea is a tradition practiced as long as people have been sailing.
• USS Hansford (APA-106) conducted a burial at sea for a casualty of the battle for Iwo Jima while evacuating wounded men to Saipan from February 25-28, 1945.
• Historically, bodies were sewn into weighted sailcloth shrouds before being sent overboard with a religious ceremony.
• Burials at sea occurred frequently during World War II, and have been chosen by service members, veterans, and family members since then.

Ceremonial Procedure for At-Sea Disposition

• Participants must wear the Uniform of the Day.
• If a chaplain is unavailable, the commanding officer or a designated officer reads the service.
• The committal service includes stationing a firing squad, casket bearers, and a bugler.
• An officer makes a call and passes the word "All hands bury the dead".
• Ships should be stopped, if practicable, and colors displayed at half-mast and assembly is conducted.
• Adjutant calls to attention, and brings mass formation to parade rest.
• The Burial service is conducted, including scripture, prayers (heads bowed), committal, and benediction (heads bowed).
• There is a firing of three volleys occurs at attention with a hand salute.
• Taps is played and colors are raised, and the course and speed are resumed at the last note of Taps (Hand Salute).
• The flag is encased at attention.
• The retreat is sounded and normal ship duties are resumed.
• Officers in the funeral procession and casket bearers may wear mourning bands on their left arms

Preparation for At-Sea Disposition

• The disposition ceremony has religious and military components.
• The religious part includes scripture readings, prayers, the committal, and the benediction.
• Chaplains, commanding officers, or designated officers perform the religious part.
• Military personnel perform all other aspects of the ceremony.
• The casketed remains are covered with the national ensign, with the union at the head and over the left shoulder.
• The cap and sword of the deceased are not displayed.
• Six or eight casket bearers, based on the weight of the remains, stand on both sides of the casket and are arranged according to height.
• Casket bearers below decks will uncover while not carrying, but remain covered otherwise.
• The casket is carried feet first.
• The committal location is cleared and rigged, so the casket can be placed securely on a stand with feet overboard, perpendicular to the launching side.
• Attention is sounded via bugle or word of mouth.
• The chief master-at-arms precedes the casket bearers, executing a Hand Salute as the cortege moves to the committal place.
• The Hand Salute is terminated once remains are placed, and a sentry is posted if the burial service doesn’t follow promptly.
• A chief petty officer is responsible for the seven-person firing party.
• The chief master-at-arms directs the casket bearers until the flag is encased and given to the commanding officer.

Cremains from a Naval Ship

• If ashes are scattered, a small table or stand should be secured at the committal place.
• The urn goes on the table during service, the folded flag placed next to ashes.
• The executive officer or appointee opens and scatters the ashes appropriately during the committal ceremony, accounting for wind.
• If the urn is not to be opened, a small platform is constructed.
• It is rigged so it may rest there during the service and be launched by tilting the platform, allowing the urn and ashes to slide into the sea.
• Floral tributes may accompany cremains, surrounding receptacles and covering the table or platform.
• Flowers may slide overboard or be tossed into the sea by the flag bearer post launch.
• One enlisted member will be detailed to carry the receptacle containing the cremains for all phases of the funeral.
• Four enlisted members will be detailed as flag bearers will also serve as urn bearers
• Flag bearers follow the bearer of the urn; the folded flag will be carried by the leading flag bearer on the right, and placed on the stand beside the cremains.
• Right before scattering or urn committal, the leading flag bearer will pick up and hold the flag until Taps is done.

Ceremony for At-Sea Disposition (Casketed Remains)

• The honor platoon will be assembled in massed formation on the parade rest, and the burial service will be started and read to the end of the prayers.
• During prayers everyone will remain covered with bowed heads.
• After prayers the casket bearers hold the casket and national ensign in place as necessary before the committal reading.
• When preparations are done and all is ready, attention is sounded.
• When attention is sounded; The command is sounded “Firing party, Present Arms” (Honor platoon Hand Salute) is given and the reading of the committal is commenced.
• At the indicating word, the casket bearers tilt the board, sliding the casket overboard under the national ensign.
• As it goes, the casket bearers retain the board and stand fast.
• The command is sounded, “Firing Party, Order Arms, Parade Rest,” and all will bow their heads.
• During benediction, the commands will follow "Firing party, Attention. Fire three volleys" (Honor platoon Hand Salutes, and remain so until the last note of Taps; "Ready, aim, fire; aim, fire; aim, fire".
• After the last volley, the firing party remains @ ready position, pieces locked, until the conclusion of Taps, and remaining salutes.
• After Taps, the firing party is brought to Order Arms.
• Casket bearers encase the national ensign via folding twice along the flag's long axis, with the blue field outward.
• The flag is folded from the fly end to show only the blue field, then presented by the chief master-at-arms to the commanding officer.
• After the commanding officer receives the flag and departs, Parade Rest is commanded.
• When all have complied, the details are brought to Attention, formed, and marched away.
• When clear, the honor platoon comes to Attention and the retreat sounds, ending the ceremony.

Explore the procedures, historical context, and key figures associated with burials at sea, including committal services, appropriate honors, and notable examples from naval history.