The Board has granted service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and diabetes mellitus type 2 due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Korea.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents near the Korean DMZ while serving as a security guard and tower guard, which raises a reasonable possibility of causation for his current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease or CAD), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diabetes mellitus type 2
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19124909
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19124909.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's appeal for service connection for heart attack, kidney stones, polycythemia vera, diabetes mellitus type 2, and psoriasis is remanded due to inadequate VA opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective October 24, 2017. The attorney fees are eligible based on the past-due benefits awarded in the May 2021 rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 is found to be secondary to her service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of diabetes mellitus type 2 was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His hypertension was granted a 10% evaluation from January 11, 2011, but no greater. The Veteran's request for an effective date before October 12, 2021, for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied.
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