PGR-ANC RC Guide: Uncovering The Details

Page last changed: 10/20/2008 07:11:11 PM Central Time (server time)

CONTENTS:  Family Permission  Key Information   Escort Information  Getting Info When No CAO/CACO                  Back to Home Page

Once we have a "lead" we need to dig further to get the specifics of the services that are to be part of the ANC mission, and the dates, times, location(s), and funeral home to be involved, if any.

Depending on the type of "lead", the degree of homework done for us by the state PGR organization, the type of Hero (KIA or MIA or Veteran or ???) and other factors, the work required, and the steps to take to get the mission details will vary.

Family Permission:         Top Of Page

  • First and foremost - we must find out if we have the family's permission to attend!
  • We may already have this from the state referral - super!
  • If not, press the state PGR to get it for us
  • We may already have this from the direct contact, or the family spoke-person contacted - super!
  • If we have the CAO / CACO contact information,
    • Ask that person to approach the family for us and ask for permission to Honor their Hero.
    • Explain who we are and what we do - 140,000 plus mostly vets, etc, etc
    • Emphasize we need family OK
    • Direct them to www.patriotguard.org
    • Give them all they need and answer any questions
    • Emphasize that PGR has stood in Honor at over 200 ANC services
    • Be persistent and try to be helpful
  • Find the CAO Yourself

Other key Information - once we have an OK         Top Of Page

  • Should be able to get most of this information form the CAO / CACO - that is why it is key that we get the contact info from the state PGR
    • Date of ANC Services
    • Time of ANC services
    • Gathering point or service point (Admin or Old Chapel or new/Memorial chapel or Gate Meet or Memorial Dr)
    • Remains or Cremains
    • Funeral Home involved near/for ANC 
      • (Name, Phone, contact name if available) (We know all this for Murphy's - most used at ANC)
      • Type of FH services, dates, times if available - if he/she does not have this info,  we can get from FH
    • "Local to home"  Funeral Home 
      • (Name, Phone, contact name if available) - helps us to verify transport, plans at ANC - they are the "senders"
  • Once we have this basic information - we can work with ANC and or the ANC funeral home for all the planning and details - freeing the CAO to his normal duties.

     

  • Other contacts / ways to get data:

    • ANC Date and time and Location
      • Call ANC Information - 703-607-7800 option 0
      • Ask for funeral information for: Hero full name
      • They will give you the Date and time
      • Then ask for location: Admin, Old Chapel, Etc
    • Murphy's Funeral Home - Most of our local to ANC services happen here
      • 703-920-4800  ask for Liz
      • Advise of Hero name
      • Ask for Murphy services, plans and times
      • If services or visitation - get times and when family is to arrive (1/2 hour early usually)
      • If 'holding remains" only - what time for loading and transport

Escort Information - Optional if we are going to do family escort from hotel (Required later - not up front)         Top Of Page

  • This is information we do NOT want to get on the initial contact - but may need later
  • We need to look at the overall plan - because if there are services from a local to ANC FH, then the family may / may not be escorting the remains from the FH to ANC on the day of interment - if so, the plan will have family escort built in already
  • If the family is not going to escort the remains
    • We will still do our Honors and Escort from the FH for the remains
    • and we might decide to a family escort from their hotel also - more under Planning
  • if we are planning to do a family escort, without LEO - likely if coming from hotel to ANC w/o remains
    • We will eventually need information
    • Hotel name and address
    • How many cars to escort
    • A cell phone number of a person to contact that will be at the hotel & part of the party - for last minute contact/coordination

Getting Info When No CAO/CACO 

  • Back in the day, we often had a hard time locating CAO's or getting them to call us back. Not so true today, but still is worthwhile to document what worked in those days, in case we have a similar situation arise. 
  • Preferred approach is to deal with the family through the CAO, but in the absence of that option, the next best is to deal through the funeral home, and the last resort is to deal with the family directly (have ha to so it several time)

     

  • Some key tools:
    • Google - search for the Hero's name
      • Find an Obit
        • You have the funeral home, in most cases
        • You have a hometown - search for funeral homes, start calling them
      • Find a condolences blog / memorial page:
        • You get more family names
        • You might get someone's email address - a friend you can email for help
        • You might get a relative with a city state
      • Find  ???? something else you can parlay into more info
    • 411.com
      • With a name and a state or a city and state you can get a phone number and an address
        • Of the Hero or of the spouse
        • Of a friend or relative - see the Google search above
        • If you have the Hero / spouse Address - use the find neighbors feature - call for help
    • Google Maps
      • With the Hero's address - locate it and map it, then tell Google Maps to locate funeral homes close by - start calling

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