The Board denied the appellant's eligibility for VA benefits as her deceased spouse did not have qualifying service in the United States Armed Forces.
The deciding factor: The Department of the United States Army certified that the appellant's deceased spouse had no service as a member of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized guerrillas, in the United States Armed Forces.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0606807
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatic heart disease was granted. The claim for hypertensive vascular disease was remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for total disability due to individual unemployability for the period prior to March 7, 2011 based on his service-connected rheumatic heart disease and left knee degenerative changes.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease renders him unemployable and he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service and that any non-rheumatic heart disease conditions did not manifest within one year of separation from service.
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