The Veteran's cause of death was listed as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The Board is remanding the case to determine if the USS Annapolis served in the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam during the Veteran’s service, which would allow for presumptive service connection due to Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The USS Annapolis did not serve within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam, but recent legal precedent allows veterans who served in this area to be presumed exposed to herbicides. The Board needs to determine if the ship was in this area during the Veteran's service.
- Claimed conditions
- Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19131010
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 19131010.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board finds that there is a question of fact regarding whether an effective date prior to December 26, 2007, for the grant of DIC benefits is warranted. The case is being remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the Board denied entitlement to Special Monthly Pension based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's death was not due to willful misconduct and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, as his death was not caused by a service-connected disability.
- Granted
New evidence has been submitted suggesting the Veteran's cause of death was related to his service exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection is being readjudicated.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.