The Board has decided that the Veteran's blindness or legal blindness may be related to an in-service eye injury during combat on Iwo Jima, but needs further examination to determine this.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's account of exposure to a bright light from a 'star shell' during combat is credible even though not documented in his service treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- blindness, legal blindness
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19136567
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 19136567.
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: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation, as they do not qualify for permanent and total disability due to loss of use of extremities or anatomical regions.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed as moot because the Veteran's past due benefits were already awarded and no fees were withheld or paid, so there are no remaining disputes to be adjudicated.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's left eye disability, including incomplete service treatment records and an inadequate VA examiner's opinion. The AOJ is instructed to seek complete copies of the Veteran's service medical records and obtain a new examination with an adequate opinion addressing the likely cause of his eye disability.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for AVM, blindness (secondary to AVM), and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions occurred during active duty for training.
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