The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, as a residual of exposure to herbicides during service, is denied. The Board found that the veteran did not meet the regulatory presumption of active service in the Republic of Vietnam and thus was not presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during service. With no such exposure, service connection on a presumptive basis under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e) cannot be granted. The claim is also denied on a direct basis as there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current diabetes mellitus to his active military service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the veteran was exposed to herbicides during service, and therefore he cannot be presumed to have been exposed. Additionally, there is no competent medical evidence or opinion linking the veteran's current diabetes mellitus to his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2005
- Citation
- 0510074
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 0510074.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic nephropathy, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound status and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and panic disorder with insomnia. The decision finds that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the erectile dysfunction was caused by these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted a 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II from June 20, 2020. The right ankle scar claim is remanded due to the Veteran's failure to report for a scheduled examination. The GERD secondary to diabetes mellitus claim and TDIU issue are also remanded.
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