A. You and your wife can indeed be buried, free of charge, in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri or any one of the 120 U.S. cemeteries run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that have space available. But note that the term "free of charge" applies only to aspects of the burial that take place within the gates of the cemetery and, therefore, does not include the cost involved in transporting caskets.

As with many matters, preparation can help prevent hassle and unexpected expenses. George Cline, a director at the Kutis Funeral Home in Missouri who often works with the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, suggests that you find a contact at a funeral home in Italy as well as a contact at a U.S.-based funeral home. You can then get the two in touch and make sure that everyone involved, including your family, know the details and the costs.

The transportation of a casket from Italy to the United States could cost as much as several thousand dollars. The more you shop around and compare, the better your chances are of lowering that cost.

Ralph Church, the director of the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, says that there will likely be grave sites available there until at least 2015.

You or a family member can request a grave site near family members who are already buried there. You cannot reserve space ahead of time at any of the U.S. military cemeteries (unless you were forward-thinking enough to have reserved before 1962).

The contact information for the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, along with the other 120 VA cemeteries, can be found at: http://www.cem.va.gov/listcem.htm.

One piece of advice from employees at the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery and the Department of Veterans Affairs is to make sure that your family knows where your discharge papers are and that they can access them easily. These papers will serve as proof of your service; without them, you cannot be buried in a U.S. military cemetery.

If you have misplaced them, or if they have been destroyed, you can call the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis (tel. 00 1 314 801 0800) or find more information on how to get your records that will state your eligibility for burial at this Web site: www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs/index.html.

Regardless of where in the world you are buried, you can receive a free headstone or grave marker from the U.S. military. Your wife, however, will only get a free headstone if you are buried in one of the VA cemeteries, such as Jefferson Barracks. For more information, and to learn how to apply for the headstone in advance, visit: http://www.cem.va.gov/hmorder.htm.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for you or your wife to be buried at a U.S. military cemetery in Italy, since the cemeteries there do not take new burials, except when remains from World War II are found.

But a private cemetery in Italy is an option and, if cost is a concern, then it may be less expensive for you to be buried in Italy than to have caskets transported to the United States.

- Meredith Artley (IHT)

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