The VA Regional Office denied the appellant's claim for VA death benefits because the decedent served in the Merchant Marine, which was not considered service in the U.S. Armed Forces for VA benefits purposes.
The deciding factor: The RO found that the decedent served with U.S. Army Transportation Corps but their service separation document and other personnel records were needed to determine the exact dates and organization of their service.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2008
- Citation
- 0821004
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 0821004.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
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