The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) due to lack of evidence linking the cancer to service.
The deciding factor: Service connection was not granted as there was no evidence showing that the squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was related to service, including any in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The veteran did not have a permanent total disability due to a service-connected condition at the time of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2005
- Citation
- 0532471
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 0532471.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is due to metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, which was caused by exposure to Agent Orange during service. Service connection for this condition is granted. However, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 due to lack of continuous total disability rating.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue was not caused or contributed to by his military service, including exposure to Agent Orange.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and his tongue cancer is not presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions and unclear service records. The Veteran's cause of death is under review, as well as his eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance.
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.