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
- Not verified here — check the original 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 indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19131010.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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