MARION -- When a veteran dies, family members get benefits to cover certain burial expenses. Now, one local family says those benefits have big holes in them.

Mental and physical battlefield scars can affect veterans like John Alcayde for the rest of their lives.

Alcayde died late last week, and the Vietnam veteran's family says the government's burial benefit plan has brought them nothing but more heartache.

The government drafted Alcayde into the military back in 1968. He served in Vietnam for two years.

"My dad told me, 'Son, I drank water I wouldn't feed my dog,'" Johnny Alycayde, his son, said.

Alcayde's family believes the military exposed him to Agent Orange. Throat cancer and a series of other health problems surfaced later in his life.

He died last Thursday.

Alcayde's family wants to bury him here at Cedar Memorial. If they do that, the government will give them a headstone and up to two-thousand dollars to cover expenses.

It's a standard policy for all veterans that shocked the grieving family. They're facing a ten-thousand dollar bill.

"These Vietnam vets got spit on and hated on because of the Vietnam War. So, 40 years later, we're still going to spit on them?" Alcayde’s ex-wife, Judy Walsh, said.

However, the government will cover more expenses if veterans get buried in a national cemetery.

“I think they're the best place for a veteran. They give them all the honor and dignity and respect they deserve," Kirt Sickels, a representative from the Iowa City Veteran’s Medical Center, said.

But here's the problem: the only national cemetery in Iowa is in Keokuk -- two and half hours away from the family's home. So, it's an option that's out of the question for them.

"I'd like to be able to go see him whenever I want. If I have a hard day, I'll go see him and he'll make me feel better," Johnny Alcayde said.
Veterans risk their lives to defend their country, and the Alcaydes believe paying for all funeral expenses is the least the government can do in return.

The Alcaydes spoke out because they want America's veteran policies to change.

Right now, Iowa is in the process of building a new veterans' cemetery near Des Moines.

Construction could begin as soon as this summer.

E-mail Mark Geary at Mark.Geary@kcrg.com