Iowa Vietnam vet seeking disability benefits dies before he can prove he fought in the war

By Todd Magel

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    JASPER COUNTY, Iowa (KCCI) — A Jasper County Vietnam veteran recently died after the federal government said they had no record of his service, and therefore no veteran’s benefits for him.

“It was horribly frustrating,” said Lisa Van Ryswyk.

She and her siblings lost their father Ken Van Veen after he died from stomach cancer in March. He served in Vietnam in the mid-1960s.

When the 82-year-old Marine discovered he was sick last year, he reached out to the Veterans Administration for help with a disability claim. They denied the request, saying they had no record of his service.

“His country was not recognizing what he did, and … he even made the comment, ‘I guess I was never in that hellhole after all.’ You could just see it on his face. And it was horrifying to watch that,” said Van Ryswyk.

That’s when the family began fighting back.

“It is a fight for these veterans to get these benefits,” said Alyssa Wilson.

Wilson is the administrator of the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Department. She helped the family slog through months of filling out forms, ignoring repeated denials and contacting Iowa senators.

The family had all the paperwork and pictures to prove their father was a Vietnam vet. Finally, after he died, the VA discovered its mistake. It was too late.

“I started crying at my desk because I wish Mr. Van Veen’s story was rare. And it’s not,” said Wilson.

“When he came home from Vietnam, he was in the airport and told us about a time where he was spit on when he came back from Vietnam. And he kind of felt like that was happening again,” said Van Ryswyk.

In the end, Van Veen’s family says it’s not about the disability money; it’s about warning other families not to give up–and keep fighting for their veterans who served with honor.

“But there are so many veterans who need that money and really are counting on that. And if there is any way to try and make the process better, that’s really what we’d like to do or kind of as a legacy for Dad,” said Van Ryswyk.

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