The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a recognized period of captivity as a Prisoner of War (POW) and thus, his claim for POW status is denied. The cause of death was found to be unrelated to service or service-connected conditions. The appellant does not meet the requirements for nonservice-connected death pension benefits. There is no legal entitlement to additional allowance based on aid and attendance or being housebound. Service connection for COPD and malaria are also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claimed period of captivity as a POW was found to be unsupported by service department records, which determined that the alleged period did not occur. The cause of death was attributed to sudden cardiac death secondary to coronary artery disease and fatal arrhythmia, with COPD listed as an underlying condition. There is no evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected conditions.
- 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
- December 6, 2011
- Citation
- 1144490
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1144490.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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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