The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and, therefore, is not entitled to presumptive service connection for any conditions based on herbicide exposure. The claims of service connection for various disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not show he served in Vietnam or was exposed to herbicides, which precludes presumptive service connection for any conditions related to such exposure. The Board has reviewed the medical evidence and finds no other basis for granting service connection based on direct service connection criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and bipolar disorder), Bilateral knee disorder, Diabetes mellitus, type 2, Peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, Skin disorder, Heart disorder, Hypertension, Eye disorder, Headache disorder, Vertigo
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 3, 2017
- Citation
- 1731269
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1731269.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's hearing loss is not rated higher than 10 percent.
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