The Veteran's appeal of service connection for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremity is being remanded due to a lack of information required by the JSRRC to verify herbicide exposure in the Republic of Vietnam. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining the deck logs of the USS Walke during the identified periods.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service personnel records confirm his presence aboard the USS Walke, which was in the official waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the specified dates. However, verification is needed to determine if the USS Walke traveled in inland waterways of Vietnam where herbicide exposure may have occurred.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1708626
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 1708626.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.,Given the grant of TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD, the Veteran has a single service-connected disability rated as total (PTSD) and additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all appeals regarding his service-connected conditions and related disability ratings, effective as of March 16, 2026.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis, sinusitis, hypertension, and type II diabetes mellitus due to a lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to his active-duty service.
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