The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for type-II diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy, claimed as loss of eyesight, based on alleged exposure to herbicide agents during his service aboard a naval ship off the coast of Vietnam. The Board found that the appellant did not have 'service in the Republic of Vietnam' for purposes of VA compensation benefits.
The deciding factor: The appellant's service was determined to be outside the definition of 'service in the Republic of Vietnam,' as he never visited or performed duties within Vietnamese borders, and his ship never moored in a Vietnamese port. Therefore, the presumptions related to herbicide exposure did not apply.
- Claimed conditions
- type-II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2004
- Citation
- 0404848
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,038 · Granted: 30% (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 0404848.
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.
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- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain relevant exposure information. The AOJ is instructed to conduct additional development as outlined in the decision.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran was granted an effective date of May 15, 2023 for his total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate TERA opinions regarding the Veteran's diabetes. The claim will be returned for further review and an addendum opinion from a clinician.
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