The Veteran's cause of death was not caused by service-connected conditions or exposure to herbicide agents in the Vietnam War. The Board denied both the claim for service connection and the request for accrued benefits.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam, received exposure to herbicide agents during his service, or had a service-connected condition that caused his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Mantle Cell Lymphoma, Bacteremia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18100488
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 18100488.
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: Granted
The Veteran's CLL is presumed to be related to his service in Thailand due to exposure to herbicide agents, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone has prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since September 23, 2020. TDIU is granted effective that date.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for CLL and a TDIU is being remanded due to concerns about the adequacy of the December 2023 VA examination and because the RO has not provided explicit notice on the TDIU issue.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's chronic lymphocytic leukemia is presumed to be related to his military service due to exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange. The claim for service connection is granted.
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