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Whole decision: Granted

The Board has granted the appellant's claim as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits, finding that they were legally married at the time of the veteran's death and their separation was due to the veteran's misconduct without fault on the part of the appellant.

The deciding factor: The separation between the veteran and the appellant was due to the veteran's incarceration, which is considered a form of misconduct. The appellant did not have any role in the veteran's incarceration and thus had no fault at the time of their initial separation.

Claimed conditions
Not specified in this decision
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
November 9, 2007
Citation
0735614

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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0735614.

What this means for you

A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

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