State Funeral for War Veterans

What State Funeral for War Veterans does

State Funeral for World War II Veterans is a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization founded in 2017 in Dallas, Texas, by Bill McNutt and his daughter Rabel McNutt. The organization's core mission was to persuade the President of the United States to designate a state funeral for the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, serving as a final national tribute to the approximately 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces between 1941 and 1945. On July 14, 2022, this mission was accomplished when Hershel "Woody" Williams became the first enlisted man in American history to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaking at the service.

The organization operates a grassroots advocacy model built on a network of state chairs and board members across 37+ states, supported by partnerships with major veterans organizations including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, National World War II Museum, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Its service portfolio includes the State Funeral Advocacy Campaign, a veterans' story-sharing platform on its website, a speaker coordination service for civic organizations, and the annual George Marshall Award recognizing individuals who exemplify WWII-era sacrifice and service. The website is built on Wild Apricot membership software, which handles donation collection, membership management, and event registration; no proprietary technology is developed or sold.

The organization is funded entirely through tax-deductible charitable donations (Tax ID: 82-1730871) and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees supplemented by volunteer state chairs and board members. It has no proprietary technology products and generates no revenue from product sales or licensing. Its go-to-market approach relies on social media campaigns (#worldwar2salute), petition drives through Change.org, congressional and state legislative endorsements, earned media coverage, and direct engagement with civic organizations such as American Legion Posts, VFW Chapters, and Rotary Clubs.

Name

State Funeral for War Veterans

Legal name

State Funeral for World War II Veterans

Website

https://worldwar2salute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

State Funeral for World War II Veterans is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2017 that campaigned for a state funeral honoring the last WWII Medal of Honor recipient as a tribute to U.S. veterans, achieving its mission in July 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veterans Advocacy Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterans Affairs & Military Family Services (BPAIAHAL)

Keywords

• Veterans advocacy
• WWII recognition
• Medal of honor
• Nonprofit campaign
• State funeral

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable contributions to the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The organization collects donations through their website platform powered by Wild Apricot.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that leads a bipartisan grassroots campaign to secure a U.S. presidential designation of a state funeral for the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient. It complements this mission with a WWII Veterans' Story Sharing Platform that publishes free video and written submissions, a national speaker coordination network for civic and veterans group presentations, and the George Marshall Award recognition program honoring individuals and groups advancing WWII remembrance.

Product overview

State Funeral for World War II Veterans is a 501(c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization that operates a petition-based campaign to secure a state funeral for the last WWII Medal of Honor recipient. The organization's service portfolio includes a veterans' story sharing platform, speaker coordination for civic organizations, and the George Marshall Award program recognizing WWII veterans' contributions. The organization is powered by Wild Apricot membership software and maintains active presence on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for community engagement and petition promotion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State Funeral Advocacy Campaign A grassroots advocacy and lobbying campaign urging the U.S. President and Congress to designate a state funeral for the last surviving WWII Medal of Honor recipient, supported by 200+ state legislative resolutions across 37+ states and bipartisan congressional endorsements.
• WWII Veterans' Story Sharing Platform A free online platform that enables WWII veterans and their families to submit and share written and video first-person stories, preserving oral histories of the Greatest Generation.
• Speaker Coordination Service A national speaker bureau that places organizational leaders and WWII-connected ambassadors at events hosted by civic clubs, schools, veterans organizations, and community groups to advance the state funeral mission.
• George Marshall Award A recognition award presented by the organization to individuals and groups that advance WWII remembrance and support the state funeral campaign.

Quantifiable outcome

• First state funeral for an enlisted soldier in US history - Hershel 'Woody' Williams laid in honor in US Capitol Rotunda July 14, 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National World War II MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Stephen Watson, President & CEO of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, provided a letter of support for the State Funeral mission. The museum serves as a venue for George Marshall Award ceremonies and hosts events supporting the organization.
• Congressional Medal of Honor SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The organization works with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society as the authoritative source for information about Medal of Honor recipients. Woody Williams and Charles Coolidge, the remaining WWII recipients, were central to the organization's mission.
• American LegioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018The American Legion passed Resolution No. 41 at their 100th National Convention in Minneapolis, supporting the petition for a state funeral for the last living WWII Medal of Honor recipient. Walker-Roney Post #99 in Missouri also passed a resolution supporting the cause.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018At the 119th VFW National Convention in Kansas City, Medal of Honor recipient Donald 'Doc' Ballard promoted the State Funeral mission. National Board Member Sidney Walton was also recognized. The VFW convention provided platform for distributing petitions.
• National Medal of Honor Heritage CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Keith Hardison, CEO of National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, provided strong endorsement for the mission to call for a State Funeral in Washington for the final WWII Medal of Honor holder. The center is dedicated to Charles Coolidge, one of three remaining MOH recipients from WWII.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Travis Manion Foundation: Veteran-service nonprofit emphasizing character-based leadership and community advocacy. Comparable as a mid-size donor-supported veterans advocacy organization.
• National Medal of Honor Heritage Center: Education and preservation nonprofit dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients, including WWII recipient Charles Coolidge. A direct strategic partner of the subject company and the closest peer in subject-matter focus.

Broad incumbents

• American Legion: Largest U.S. wartime veterans service organization with membership chapters in every state. Both organizations are veterans advocacy nonprofits with 50-state grassroots structures and a congressional lobbying footprint, though the Legion spans multiple generations of veterans.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): Major congressionally chartered veterans service organization that actively partnered with this organization to promote the state funeral mission at its 2018 national convention. Operates a comparable membership, advocacy, and events model for veterans.
• Gary Sinise Foundation: Large entertainment-tied veterans support foundation running programs for wounded veterans and first responders. Comparable as a high-profile, donor-supported veteran advocacy and recognition nonprofit.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large veterans-focused nonprofit with significant fundraising scale. Comparable as a donor-supported advocacy and services organization for military veterans, though it focuses on post-9/11 veterans rather than WWII.
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV): Established veterans service organization providing benefits assistance and advocacy. Comparable as a large, membership-driven veterans advocacy nonprofit competing for similar donor attention.

Direct peers

• Honor Flight Network: Nonprofit that transports WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam veterans to Washington D.C. for recognition at memorials. Closely comparable mission of honoring the WWII generation through national recognition, with a similar donor- and volunteer-supported operating model.
• National WWII Museum: New Orleans-based museum and education nonprofit dedicated to preserving WWII history; an active partner that hosted George Marshall Award ceremonies. Operates in a closely adjacent space around WWII commemoration and storytelling.

Others

• Congressional Medal of Honor Society: Organization of living Medal of Honor recipients that served as the authoritative source for the subject company's mission. Comparable as the institutional stakeholder governing the recognition asset the advocacy campaign targeted.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WorldWar2Salute
• Facebookfacebook.com/statefuneralforworldwarIIveterans
• Instagraminstagram.com/worldwar2salute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-war-2-salute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about State Funeral for War Veterans