The Board granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Thailand and his current condition is due to this exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's duties placed him at or near the perimeter of the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, which allowed for presumed exposure to herbicides. His post-service medical records supported a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, leading to service connection on the basis of presumptive exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, atherosclerotic heart disease, myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2014
- Citation
- 1406162
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 1406162.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
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