The Veteran's death was caused by acute myocardial infarction, with diabetes being another significant medical condition not directly contributing to his death. The Board finds that the evidence supports the premise that the Veteran temporarily traveled to Vietnam and is therefore presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents during service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's exposure to an herbicide agent in the Republic of Vietnam, including Gulf War syndrome, presumed him to be exposed to such agents. Given his presence in Vietnam, his death from acute myocardial infarction and diabetes is presumed to have been caused by his exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myocardial infarction, Type 2 diabetes
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2015
- Citation
- 1550097
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 1550097.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran died due to an acute myocardial infarction. The Board has identified errors in the toxic exposure documentation and requests a remand for further investigation and medical opinion regarding the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's death was caused by an intraabdominal hemorrhage, acute myocardial infarction, and acute renal failure. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on whether these conditions are related to in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for acute myocardial infarction has been dismissed as the January 2026 VA Form 10182, which appealed the October 2025 rating decision, was received concurrently with a supplemental claim (VA Form 20-0995).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The claims for heart disability and hypertension were also denied as they are not considered service-connected.
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