The Veteran's death was caused by dementia, which the Board found to be related to his service as a fighter pilot. As this finding grants DIC based on service connection for the cause of death, the appeal under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions established that the Veteran's dementia was due to his service as a fighter pilot, which exposed him to high altitudes and extreme gravitational forces leading to vascular lesions in his brain.
- Claimed conditions
- Dementia of Alzheimer's type, Vascular dementia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2015
- Citation
- 1549139
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1549139.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, cerebrovascular disease and vascular dementia, was found to be caused in part by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and incomplete medical history. The Veteran's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is being reviewed, along with its secondary effects on stroke disability, vascular dementia, and peripheral neuropathy.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and for hypothyroidism due to a lack of adequate medical opinions. The Veteran died from vascular dementia, which may or may not be related to his toxic exposure risk activity at Camp Lejeune.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was due to vascular dementia, which may have been caused by Agent Orange exposure. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine the cause of strokes and hypertension.
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