The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to his military service, specifically his period as a prisoner of war. The appellant did not have qualifying service for nonservice-connected death pension benefits and thus is denied those benefits. The claim for accrued benefits also failed due to lack of evidence showing entitlement.
The deciding factor: The cause of the veteran's death was attributed to pulmonary tuberculosis, which is not related to his military service as a prisoner of war. As the appellant did not have qualifying service in the Philippine Commonwealth Army or Regular Philippine Army, she is ineligible for nonservice-connected death pension benefits. The claim for accrued benefits also failed due to lack of evidence showing entitlement.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonary tuberculosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2006
- Citation
- 0639524
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 0639524.
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 Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis was at least as likely as not a contributory cause of his death.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than January 28, 2014 for service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of death due to lack of new and material evidence, as all submitted documents were found to be forgeries.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia, finding that there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that exposure to herbicide agents did not cause either condition.
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.