The Board found that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam or its inland waterways, and thus could not be presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. The evidence does not show any exposure to Agent Orange during service. As a result, the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II due to Agent Orange exposure is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not indicate Vietnam service or exposure to herbicides, and there was no conclusive proof of in-country Vietnam service. The Board found that the presumption of exposure to herbicides does not apply as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for being present on landmass or inland waters of Vietnam during the Vietnam era.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 8, 2014
- Citation
- 1435589
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 1435589.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic nephropathy, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound status and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and panic disorder with insomnia. The decision finds that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the erectile dysfunction was caused by these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted a 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II from June 20, 2020. The right ankle scar claim is remanded due to the Veteran's failure to report for a scheduled examination. The GERD secondary to diabetes mellitus claim and TDIU issue are also remanded.
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