A California Army veteran has been on a mission to prove to the U.S. government that he's not dead, NBC Southern California reported Saturday.

Marco Hernandez, who served two tours in Iraq, passed away in late 2011, at least he did according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

But the VA's records were somehow skewed and Hernandez, who is alive and kicking, has been fighting ever since to have them changed. The error has cost him thousands of dollars in veterans benefits.

"Every time I try to do something people come up with different things that I'm supposed to be doing," Hernandez told the station.

Hernandez's deadly situation began when he called the VA in October 2011 to let them know his father passed away so they could cancel his health insurance.

"Someone at the VA did all the paperwork correctly," the vet told NBC Southern California. "Unfortunately, somebody made a mistake about three weeks after my father passed away. My relatives received some paperwork saying I was the one who passed away."

What happened next was a "trickle-down" effect, with his credit cards being canceled and his bank account froze.

"I pulled my credit report, and I was laughing when I saw it because it said, 'items affecting your credit: deceased, deceased, deceased,' " Hernandez told the station.

Hernandez said he has repeatedly called his bank and the VA but his efforts have been futile. The VA told NBC Southern California they are working with Hernandez to rectify the situation.  

Hernandez is not the only one to be declared dead by the federal government while still alive.

Last year a retired Pennsylvania truck driver found out the Social Security Administration had him listed as deceased when he suddenly stopped receiving social security checks. He later found out someone pretending to be a relative called the SSA and reported him dead, NBC Philadelphia reported.