The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as a surviving spouse of the veteran, finding that she did not meet the legal requirements to be considered such due to her marriage occurring within 15 years of the veteran's separation from service and having no children born before or during this marriage.
The deciding factor: The appellant's marriage to the veteran occurred within 15 years of the veteran's separation from service, which is a requirement for surviving spouse recognition under VA regulations. Additionally, there were no children born before or during their marriage.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0202189
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0202189.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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