The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD and granted this claim. The Board also found that the veteran engaged in combat with the enemy during his Vietnam service, which allows him to have his reported stressors accepted as true without further verification.
The deciding factor: The veteran's receipt of the Army Commendation Medal confirmed his participation in combat, and his statements about witnessing helicopter crashes are consistent with the circumstances of his service. The VA treatment records support a diagnosis of PTSD based on these stressors.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Arthritis of the Hips, Arthritis of the Back, Arthritis of the Knees, Tendon Condition, Nerve Damage to the Neck, Sacral Vertebral Condition
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2003
- Citation
- 0312580
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 0312580.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and GAD, as well as tinnitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities.
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