The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and finds that his death was caused by these exposures. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty service in Thailand was established based on credible evidence, including his MOS as an Inventory Management Supervisor and statements indicating he worked near the air base perimeter. The Board applied the presumption related to respiratory cancers and ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- cardio-pulmonary arrest, acute respiratory failure, aspirational pneumonia, metastatic small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18143504
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 18143504.
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 Board remands the claim for an adequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including lung cancer and cardio-pulmonary arrest, to address in-service toxic exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, for purposes of entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), as further development is necessary.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's acute respiratory failure is related to service, including participation in a toxic exposure risk activity as a fire crewman.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's asbestos exposure contributed to his death.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.