The Board found that the appellant is not entitled to VA death benefits as the surviving spouse of the veteran due to lack of one-year marriage prior to his death, no children born of the marriage, and failure to meet other eligibility criteria.
The deciding factor: The appellant did not meet the required one-year marriage prior to the veteran's death for VA death benefits as a surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2003
- Citation
- 0333863
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 0333863.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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