The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's service aboard USS Chicago occurred within 12 nautical miles of the Republic of Vietnam, which could allow him to claim herbicide agent exposure. The decision is pending verification.
The deciding factor: Verification is needed to determine if the Veteran served within the territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam during his active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease (CAD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20001803
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) effective June 1, 2021, and increased ratings for mid-sternum scar, left lower extremity (LLE) scar, and migraines to 10%, 20%, and 50% respectively, all effective October 26, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for the AOJ to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing on a supplemental claim in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.103(b)(1) and (d)(1).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam.
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