The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and he was granted service connection for undiagnosed illnesses manifested by chronic fatigue and generalized arthralgias. The initial evaluations assigned for these conditions are also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher initial evaluations as the veteran's symptoms have been controlled with medication and do not result in periods of incapacitation.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Vitiligo
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2005
- Citation
- 0504813
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 0504813.
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: Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused or contributed to by service or a service-connected disability. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death as there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and no other link between the Veteran's death and his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's increased rating for Generalized Anxiety Disorder from August 22, 2024 is granted. For the entire appeal period, an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for Generalized Anxiety Disorder is denied. The Veteran's vitiligo remains rated at 10 percent.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for vitiligo, finding no evidence of worsening symptoms or a link to in-service exposure.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded claims for hypothyroidism, vitiligo, and migraines due to deficiencies in the record.
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.