Honoring those who served.

What VA burial benefits are available?

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs administers a set of monetary allowances, interment rights, and memorial items for eligible veterans and, in some cases, their spouses and dependent children. The specific benefit and the dollar figure depend on whether the veteran's death was service-connected, whether the veteran was hospitalized by the VA at the time of death, and whether the family chooses interment in a national cemetery. The core benefits are set out in 38 U.S.C. §§ 2302–2308 and applied through the VA's burial benefits program.

1. Burial allowance — service-connected death: Up to $2,000 toward burial and funeral expenses when the VA determines the death was the result of a service-connected disability. This is the higher tier and is not tied to VA hospitalization at the time of death.
2. Burial allowance — non-service-connected death: Up to $1,002 toward burial and funeral expenses if the veteran was receiving VA pension or compensation (or was entitled to receive it) at the time of death, plus a separate separate plot or interment allowance (set annually by the VA) when the veteran is not buried in a national cemetery. Amounts adjust from time to time; check va.gov/burials-memorials/veterans-burial-allowance for the current figure.
3. Burial in a VA national cemetery: No cost to the family for the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, a government-furnished headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual care.

Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery

For families in the DFW metroplex, the nearest national cemetery is the Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery, located at 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211 (the property lies in southwest Dallas near Grand Prairie). The cemetery accepts both casketed remains and cremated remains, and includes a columbarium for cremation urns. Please verify the current address and gate hours with the cemetery office at (214) 467-3374 or through the National Cemetery Administration at cem.va.gov, since VA facility hours and contact numbers can change.

Interment scheduling is coordinated between the funeral director and the cemetery's scheduling office — families do not need to arrange this directly. Grave assignments are made on the day of the committal; specific plots cannot be pre-selected.

Presidential Memorial Certificate

The Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) is an engraved paper certificate bearing the current President's signature, issued to honor the memory of honorably discharged deceased veterans. It is provided at no cost and may be requested by the next of kin, other relatives, or friends. More than one PMC may be issued for a single veteran, so multiple family members can each receive a copy. Requests are made using VA Form 40-0247 and require a copy of the veteran's discharge document and the death certificate. Vargas-London will submit the PMC request as part of the standard veterans-benefits filing at no additional charge.

The DD-214 requirement

The DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, is the single most important document for establishing VA burial eligibility. It documents the veteran's dates of service, character of discharge, and awards. The VA will not process a burial benefits claim without it (or an equivalent discharge document for service before 1950).

If the family cannot locate the DD-214, a replacement may be requested from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri, which is part of the National Archives. Next-of-kin requests can be filed online through the eVetRecs system at archives.gov or by mailing Standard Form 180 (SF-180). Turnaround for routine requests typically runs from a few weeks to a few months; emergency requests tied to an active funeral are handled more quickly when the funeral director attaches a signed statement to that effect. Vargas-London will prepare and submit the NPRC request on behalf of the family when needed, at no additional charge.

Filing VA Form 21P-530EZ

The primary application for reimbursement of burial and funeral expenses is VA Form 21P-530EZ, Application for Burial Benefits. The claim is filed by the person who paid the funeral bill (often, but not always, a family member). It must be accompanied by the veteran's discharge document, the death certificate, and an itemized statement from the funeral home. The form is available at va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21p-530ez. Filing deadlines vary by benefit — service-connected death claims currently have no filing deadline, while non-service-connected allowances must generally be filed within two years of the veteran's permanent burial or cremation.

How Vargas-London supports veteran families

Carlos Vargas, Texas Licensed Funeral Director (TFSC #119648) on staff at Vargas-London, prepares and submits VA Form 21P-530EZ, coordinates directly with the Dallas–Fort Worth National Cemetery for interment scheduling, requests the Presidential Memorial Certificate, and — when necessary — files the NPRC records request for a replacement DD-214. There is no separate fee for this paperwork; it is included in every arrangement for an eligible veteran or veteran's spouse. TFSC Establishment License No. 4964.