The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as secondary to herbicide exposure and for a heart condition; hypertension; numbness of the fingers, forearm, hands, and lips; impotence; stomach problems; foot problems; glaucoma; and dental problems, each as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board found that there was no evidence of actual duty or visitation in Vietnam and thus did not establish herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records showed he served aboard naval vessels off the coast of Vietnam but never set foot on land. His testimony at his hearing contradicted his earlier statements, indicating he had only been to shore for fire suppression missions and not for any other purpose.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2012
- Citation
- 1203072
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 1203072.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The decision finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and left arm tremors. Service connection for right hand tremors is also granted. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus.
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