We’re Here for Your Family
Losing a Veteran is hard, and the paperwork can feel overwhelming. Our office helps families claim every burial and survivor benefit the Veteran earned — at no cost. Call us at (217) 854-5249 and we will walk you through it.
First Steps When a Veteran Passes
Tell the funeral home the Veteran served — they can help start burial honors. Then gather these, and bring them to us:
Documents to Gather
The Veteran’s discharge / separation paper (a DD-214 or an older equivalent — see below), a certified death certificate, and, for survivor benefits, a marriage certificate and dependents’ birth certificates.
Call the VAC
We help you file for the burial allowance, headstone/marker, flag, and survivor benefits — and make sure nothing is missed.
Contact us →Military Funeral Honors
The funeral director can request honors (flag folding, Taps). We can help coordinate.
“DD-214” Is Not the Only Discharge Paper — Bring What You Have
The DD Form 214 only came into use around 1950. A Veteran who served earlier — or whose record is on a different form — will have a different document, and any of these works to prove service. Don’t worry about the exact form number; bring whatever discharge paperwork the Veteran kept:
- DD Form 214 — Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (1950–present; Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, and later).
- WD AGO Form 53-55 (and the 53, 53-98, and 100 variants) — the Army / Army Air Forces “Enlisted Record and Report of Separation” used in the WWII era. This is the one most often mistaken for a missing DD-214.
- NAVPERS-553 / “Notice of Separation from U.S. Naval Service” and NAVMC 78-PD — WWII-era Navy and Marine Corps separation records.
- DD Form 256 (Honorable Discharge Certificate) and DD Form 257 (General Discharge Certificate) — the discharge certificate a Veteran was given; helpful, though the separation record above is what VA and NCA rely on.
- NGB Form 22 — Report of Separation and Record of Service for National Guard members.
Can’t find any of it? Don’t let that stop you — we can help your family request the Veteran’s records from the National Personnel Records Center. Call us and we’ll handle it.
Burial in a VA National Cemetery (NCA)
Most Veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, and often their spouse and dependents, are eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery at no cost — including the grave, opening/closing, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual care. Scheduling a burial is done through the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117.
Plan Ahead (Pre-Need)
Apply now to confirm eligibility in advance with VA Form 40-10007 — it makes things far easier for your family later.
Pre-need eligibility →Spouses & Dependents
Burial benefits are not only for the Veteran. A Veteran’s spouse, surviving spouse, and dependent children may also be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery — at no cost, in the same gravesite where possible, each with their own inscription on the government headstone or marker. A spouse or dependent can even be buried before the Veteran.
Spouse & Surviving Spouse
An eligible Veteran’s spouse or surviving spouse may be buried in a VA national cemetery — including, under current law, a surviving spouse who later remarried.
Dependent Children
Minor children, and unmarried adult children who became permanently incapable of self-support before age 18, may also be eligible.
Headstone & Flag
When a spouse or dependent is buried in a national cemetery, their name and dates are added to the government marker at no cost. Surviving spouses may also qualify for survivor benefits (see below).
Eligibility has specifics — let us confirm what applies to your family.
Headstones, Markers & Medallions
Government Headstone or Marker
VA furnishes a headstone, marker, or medallion at no cost for an eligible Veteran’s grave, even in a private cemetery. Apply with VA Form 40-1330.
Headstones & markers (NCA) →Bronze Medallion
For a Veteran buried in a private cemetery with a privately purchased headstone or marker, VA furnishes a bronze medallion to affix to it — identifying the deceased as a Veteran, at no cost. Apply with VA Form 40-1330M.
VA medallions →Cremation: Urns & Niche Markers
Cremated remains are fully honored. They may be buried, or placed in a columbarium niche at a VA national cemetery, with a government niche marker (plaque) at no cost. We will walk your family through the urn and placement options.
NCA burial options →Illinois Setting Reimbursement — 3WVGR Online
When VA furnishes the marker, IDVA reimburses up to $125 for transporting and setting it in Illinois (paid after the marker is placed). IDVA now takes the Veterans Grave Registration (3WVGR) online through DocuSign:
Apply online — family / next of kin →
Apply online — cemetery / funeral home (single signer) →
Need help completing it? We’ll do it with you.
Important — one memorial item only. VA furnishes only one government memorial item per Veteran — a headstone or marker, a niche marker, or a medallion — never more than one. Choose the single option that fits the Veteran’s grave; we’ll help you decide which is right.
Burial Allowance & Memorial Items
VA Burial Allowance
A monetary allowance toward burial, funeral, plot, and transportation costs — amounts depend on whether the death was service-connected. Apply with VA Form 21P-530EZ.
Apply for burial allowance →Burial Flag
A United States flag to drape the casket or accompany the urn, then given to the family. Request with VA Form 27-2008 at the funeral home or a Post Office. VA furnishes only one burial flag per Veteran.
Burial flags →Presidential Memorial Certificate
An engraved certificate signed by the President honoring the Veteran’s service — available to families at no cost.
Memorial certificates →Illinois State Burial Benefits (IDVA)
Illinois offers additional survivor and burial support, including graves registration and the headstone-setting reimbursement above. Our office and the co-located IDVA representative can help you apply.
IDVA Survivor & Burial Benefits → IDVA Hotline: 1-800-437-9824
Survivor Benefits
Under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, a surviving spouse or child may also qualify even when the Veteran died of something completely unrelated — if the Veteran was rated totally disabling for 10 years or more before death (or 5 years from discharge, or 1 year if a former POW). "Totally disabling" includes TDIU, not just a 100% schedular rating. Many widows never file because they were told the death had to be service connected. If your spouse was 100% or TDIU for 10 years, come see us.
Burial is only part of it — surviving spouses and dependents may also qualify for ongoing benefits. We help families apply.
DIC
Dependency & Indemnity Compensation — a monthly, tax-free benefit for survivors when a Veteran dies of a service-connected condition. Apply with VA Form 21P-534EZ.
About DIC →Survivors Pension & A&A
A needs-based benefit for eligible surviving spouses/children, with added amounts for Aid & Attendance.
Pension & A&A →We’ll Help You Apply
Not sure what your family qualifies for? We will review everything with you and file it.
Talk with us →Forms Checklist — When a Veteran Passes
Documents: discharge / separation paper — DD-214 or older equivalent (WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS-553, DD-256, NGB-22) · certified death certificate · marriage & birth certificates (survivors). Federal benefits to file: burial allowance · headstone or marker · pre-need eligibility · burial flag · DIC (survivor compensation). Illinois: 3WVGR (grave registration / marker setting) — completed online. We complete all of these with you.
Let us carry the paperwork. Call our office and we will help your family claim every benefit the Veteran earned.
General information from official VA, NCA, and Illinois sources; eligibility and amounts depend on the Veteran’s specific circumstances. Our accredited Veterans Service Officers will confirm what applies to your family.