The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a low back disability and respiratory issues, due to potential herbicide exposure while aboard the U.S.S. Wichita during his Vietnam War service.
The deciding factor: The VA lacks sufficient information to verify the Veteran’s claimed exposure to herbicide agents while aboard the U.S.S. Wichita within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam from April 1971 to October 1974, and the law now allows for such a concession.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, degenerative joint disease, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease), diabetes mellitus, benign prostatic hypertrophy
- 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 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20007688
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
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.