The Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction have been denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship to service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus was not exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not show any in-country service in Vietnam or any indication of diabetes mellitus or erectile dysfunction during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Type II diabetes mellitus, Erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18159279
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 18159279.
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).
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The Veteran's September 4, 2024 HLR request was improperly rejected by the AOJ. The Board finds that the request is timely and valid, and reinstates the claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings.
- Whole decision: Granted
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