Free burial spaces for veterans? Well, it is true, but unless you go to a National Cemetery, you can easily pay over $8000 for a "free" grave for a veteran and their spouse. Let's start with the simple part: An honorably discharged veteran and their spouse are entitled to free graves, free grave liners, free headstones, free open & closing (the digging), and free perpetual care. This is if they select any National Cemetery for their resting place (Marion National is the closest to Indianapolis).
    Private cemeteries love to advertise "free burial spaces for veterans" which is technically true, but then they charge for the grave for the spouse, the open & closing of the grave, the headstone, the headstone backing, the headstone installation, a paperwork processing fee, a perpetual care fee, a consumer protection fee- for BOTH the veteran and the spouse. Remember, it is TOTALLY FREE for BOTH at any of our fine National cemeteries.
    I recently visited a local cemetery and inquired about Veteran's burial for my father-in-law, a Vietnam Veteran who served two tours in the Marine Corps. (Semper Fi!!!)  Whereas his grave ($1100) and VA Bronze marker were free, the other charges were as follows:
    veteran's grave-     free 
perpetual care fee-      $165
spouse's grave-            $1100
administrative fee        $95    (for paperwork, etc.)
consumer protection fee    $11.00
veteran's 'vault'            $975 for basic vault
spouse'  'vault'             $975 for basic vault
open & closing for veteran    $975
open & closing for spouse    $975
                So far, we are at $5111.00
Do you want a headstone? For both husband and wife, the charges are:
veteran's flat bronze marker    $free (provided by VA)
matching bronze for spouse    $1060    (no, that is not a typo)
Granite base for both markers    $1030
Vase                                    $730    
concrete foundation for base    $260
installation fee                    $200
perpetual care fee            $248
sales tax                         $125.30
        Total for the headstones: $3653.50
Add the two together, and the grand total is $8764.30 to bury the veteran and the spouse (but the veteran's grave is "free")

Stay tuned for "The illusion of the deal Part 2" which is for mausoleum entombment...