The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not service-connected, and therefore denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the Dependents' Educational Assistance. The evidence did not establish a nexus between the cause of death and the veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing that the cause of death (acute lymphocytic leukemia) was incurred or aggravated by the veteran's period of active service, including exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute lymphocytic leukemia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0630866
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 0630866.
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 claim to reopen the cause of death was granted, but service connection for the cause of death remains denied as there is no direct evidence linking it to service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as there was no evidence linking his leukemia to his military service or any herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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