U.S. Coast Guard Academy Columbarium

The final resting place for those academy graduates, their spouses, and other eligible individuals who choose to be inurned on the grounds of the Coast Guard Academy. Located in Robert Crown Park, the first structure was dedicated on October 17, 2014, becoming the Coast Guard’s only official burial site.

Download the Information Below (pdf)

Columbarium Management

The Academy administers the Columbarium Program under the Academy’s Mission Support Division, who confirms eligibility. The Alumni Association pays for the part-time services of a Mortuary Services Coordinator, who assists with many facets of the Columbarium Program.

Inurnment Eligibility

There are ten categories of eligible candidates, but some general conditions apply. First, all authorized military personnel must have discharges under honorable conditions and be eligible for military funeral honors. Second, all civilians or former military personnel must have carried out their lives in the same distinguished manner with the same decorum as that required for a military discharge under honorable conditions. Finally, a request to inurn an individual who does not meet the criteria below will not normally be approved. However, the Superintendent under exceptional circumstances after considering the applicant’s affinity and long-term association with the Academy can approve such an exception.

Coast Guard Academy graduates honorably discharged/retired
Military members stationed at the Coast Guard Academy on active duty at death
Former Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents, Commandants of Cadets, Deans of Academics, Directors of Admissions, Directors of Athletics, Mission Support Division Chiefs, Academy Command Master Chiefs, Commanding Officers of the Leadership Development Center, and Commanding Officers of USCGC EAGLE
Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff
Civilian faculty and staff members with at least 20 years of service at the Coast Guard Academy with a positive characterization of service
Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees members with prior distinguished military service
Medal of Honor recipients regardless of branch of service
Retired members of the Coast Guard Band
Other individuals, based on the individual’s affinity and long-term association with the Coast Guard Academy, as approved by the Superintendent following a review of the application and a recommendation from a standing committee reviewing inurnment requests
Certain relatives of the above eligible individuals who are inurned or eligible to be inurned at the Academy Columbarium

Niche and Urn Details

The Academy’s Columbarium holds the cremains (ashes) of an individual in a series of niches (vaults). Niches will be assigned upon death by section in consecutive order, left to right, top to bottom. Each niche is approximately 8” high x 12” wide x 12” deep and can hold up to two urns, one for the sponsor and one for an eligible dependent. The preferred size for each urn is 5”h x 4”w x 11”d, however, several different urn shapes will fit. Contact the Mortuary Services Coordinator at columbarium@cgaalumni.org if you have questions..

If there is more than one eligible dependent, requests can be made to inurn subsequent dependents in an adjacent niche (if available). Moreover, family members (e.g. siblings) may request to be inurned in adjacent niches. These requests must be submitted for approval.

Urns must be made of metal or other material impervious to moisture. Wooden urns are not permitted. Inurnment of partial cremains is acceptable if you wish to reserve a portion of the cremains for another purpose. However, the portion of cremains inurned must contain the identification disc or tag issued during cremation.

To maintain the columbarium in a uniform and dignified manner, a standard inscription with standard size letters has been established for the polished red granite niche covers. The following lines for each person are:

1) Military rank (for retirees only), may state PROFESSOR for full professors;
2) Legal name, either FIRST MI LAST or FI MIDDLE LAST, may include “JR”, etc. (no nicknames);
3) Graduating class (if not a graduate, title or grounds of eligibility; ex: “CG BAND”, “ATHLETICS DIRECTOR”), omit for dependents;
4) Year of Birth - Year of Death.

Examples:

Inurnment Services

There is significant latitude in what types of services may be performed at the columbarium. Unless you make other arrangements, the Mortuary Services Coordinator will personally place the urn in the columbarium in a small, dignified ceremony which family members are welcome to attend. However, you may choose to coordinate a more elaborate ceremony at your own expense. The Academy Chapel or the services of the Academy’s Chaplains may be engaged as their schedules permit.

Military Funeral Honors are authorized by law for any veterans who have honorably served. If you do not wish to have Military Funeral Honors at a separate service local to you, you may request for them to be performed at the columbarium inurnment. Our Mortuary Services Coordinator can assist you in submitting the appropriate request. They can be contacted at columbarium@cgaalumni.org.

The columbarium is open year round, however, snow can make services impractical during winter months.

Below are the services offered by the:

Mortuary Services Coordinator

Guidance through the process
Military Honors/ Procurement of a Flag
Receiving Cremated Remains
Flowers*
Urn if necessary *
Outside Clergy*
Funeral Home Service*
Soloist*

Coast Guard Academy

Chapel
Chaplains
Chairs
Parking reservations
Reception*

Alumni Association

Reservation of niche
Golf Cart

* Costs associated with these items

Securing a Niche

A donation of $2,000 will cover the cost of engraving the niche cover ($300), while the remaining $1,700 is tax deductible and will go towards an endowment that will cover the cost of landscaping, the Mortuary Services Coordinator, and ongoing columbarium maintenance. This is a one time fee, regardless of whether or not a niche will contain one or two urns. There are no additional charges for subsequent inurnments.

Following the receipt of your donation and Engraving & Eligibility Form, you will receive confirmation of your donation from the USCGA Alumni Association, who will pass along your request to the Academy’s Mission Support Division for confirmation of eligibility. Once approved by the Academy, you will receive a confirmation letter with additional inurnment instructions.

Click here to make your donation online.

Click here to make your donation via check (pdf).