Built With Pride

Vessels - Caskets

The beautiful hand-crafted burial vessels (caskets and urns) are built by veterans who volunteer their time and talents. Many volunteers see this opportunity to use their passions to make a difference by providing a dignified final tribute for fellow veteran’s and their families.

All the vessels are built with oak/birch wood and fitted with a simple liner sewn by volunteers. Each casket is stained in either Honey Oak or Cherry and finished with polyurethane. The caskets have a two-piece lid to allow for open or closed viewing.

The caskets and urns are available to any veteran and their spouse who are South Dakota residents. The only other requirements are receiving a “other than dishonorable discharge from the military, provide a DD-214, and be buried in South Dakota.

Vessels - Urns

In 2005, VHI wanted to expand the program to give veterans more options for burial vessels. The urns are also built using oak and finished with polyurethane.

Plaques

VHI offers wooden emblems representing branches of the military as another way to honor our veterans. These plaques can be ordered for each of the four branches in small (6") or large (12") sizes and can be affixed onto their VHI burial vessel.

Call for availability 605-838-0116

Eligibility

To be eligible to receive a VHI vessel you must:

• Be an active or former member of the active military, National Guard, or selected reserve
• Have been released under conditions other than dishonorable
• Be the spouse of a veteran that meets the former requirements
• Provide a copy of the veteran's DD-214 or other discharge certificate
• Be a South Dakota Resident and plan to use the VHI vessel in South Dakota

No qualified veteran will be denied a vessel due to inability to donate.