I think that is great, and I encourage you to continue with your best effort as long as you do not wear yourself out in the meantime and even if you ultimately cannot make it happen. Logic would seem to suggest it should be less expensive to ship only the body to the second location where the coffin would be waiting, but that could depend upon your being able to make the long-distance selection and whatever else ahead of time. Also, a coffin is a burial container where a casket is a decorated box for storing jewels...and it is fine, in my own opinion, to be quite frugal there. Then also again, if you wish, you could go to the Patriot Guard site and click "Funeral Request" as soon as you have the details to request the honor presence of other veterans. They will come to the gravesite early and place some flags, then stand quietly at the perimeter around the family and others for the duration...and the funeral director there should already know all about that.