The Board found that the veteran did not engage in combat and thus could not establish service connection for PTSD. The claim for malaria was denied as there is no credible supporting evidence of a current diagnosis or occurrence during service. Service connection for hearing loss was denied due to lack of audiometric findings meeting criteria for disability, and the skin condition claim was denied because it lacks a link between Agent Orange exposure and current symptoms.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy, making his PTSD stressor allegations insufficient to establish service connection. There is no credible supporting evidence of malaria or its residuals during service. The audiometric findings do not meet criteria for hearing loss disability. The skin condition claim lacks a link between Agent Orange exposure and current symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic_stress_disorder, malaria, hearing_loss, skin_condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 28, 2000
- Citation
- 0017033
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0017033.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient detail in a previous VA medical opinion regarding whether malaria or scarlet fever during service contributed to the Veteran's death. The case must be returned for further evaluation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for malaria was dismissed because the November 17, 2025 request for Board review came before the September 16, 2025 higher-level review of the same issue had been completed.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the Appellant, and no decision can be made on the underlying claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors and additional examinations are required. The AOJ will also request clarification from the Veteran regarding his claim for malaria.
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