The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was oropharyngeal carcinoma, which is not service-connected. The appeal for dependents' educational assistance benefits and dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were also denied.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no evidence linking the veteran's oropharyngeal carcinoma to his military service, including exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- oropharyngeal carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2003
- Citation
- 0300877
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,377 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0300877.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has jurisdiction to consider the merits of the appeal for oropharyngeal carcinoma under the legacy appeals system, finding that the December 2018 Notice of Disagreement was adequate and timely.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for oropharyngeal carcinoma, related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents, is granted. The Board found that the evidence supports a causal link between the Veteran's exposure and his cancer.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to oropharyngeal carcinoma, which is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure during service.,The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 was dismissed as the cause of death was already established through service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's death was caused by Agent Orange exposure and smoking history.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.