The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD. The veteran reported experiencing several combat and non-combat related stressors during his active duty, including witnessing a detonation while serving on the USS Dale in June 1965. The Board found that the veteran's PTSD is due to his verified in-service stressor.
The deciding factor: The evidence added since the July 1999 rating decision included VA outpatient and inpatient treatment records indicating the veteran has PTSD, service personnel records confirming he was stationed on the USS Dale during PROJECT SAILOR HAT in June 1965, and reports from NARA and USASCRUR corroborating that the ship witnessed a non-nuclear detonation.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 28, 2003
- Citation
- 0317940
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 0317940.
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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