The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and an earlier effective date for a grant of service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy, and there is no credible supporting evidence of any claimed stressors or diagnosis of PTSD. The Board also found that the earliest date of claim for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was March 28, 1994, which predated the effective date of service connection.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not engage in combat with the enemy and there is no credible supporting evidence of any claimed stressors or diagnosis of PTSD. The earliest date of claim for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was March 28, 1994, which predated the effective date of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- post-traumatic stress disorder, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 30, 2002
- Citation
- 0208685
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 0208685.
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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