The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand is presumed and that he meets the criteria for a 10% disability rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served near the perimeter of RTAFB in Korat, Thailand, where he was exposed to herbicides on or near the perimeters of military bases. His exposure is considered presumptive due to his service in Vietnam-era Thailand.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease (IHD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003426
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,199 · Granted: 25% (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 20003426.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA examination and medical nexus opinion, as well as the need for a TERA opinion. The Veteran's service connection claim will be reconsidered with these additional evaluations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a heart disability, to include ischemic heart disease (IHD), due to an incomplete military personnel record and the need for further development of evidence related to exposure to Agent Orange.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of entitlement to service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and remanded the claims for service connection for a heart condition and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 10, 2010, for the award of service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and remanded the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for IHD.
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