The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence to support exposure to herbicide agents during service and thus no service-connected disability contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or near the Korean DMZ, nor did he regularly operate C-123 aircraft. The appellant's statements regarding temporary duty to Vietnam were contradicted by official records, making them unreliable. As a result, there was no exposure to herbicide agents and thus no service connection for cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Colon cancer, Pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20032888
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 20032888.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected colon cancer disability, finding that there is inadequate evidence to support a compensable rating prior to March 23, 2021 and no increase in rating thereafter.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death from pancreatic cancer may be service-connected due to environmental exposures in service, and thus remands for a medical opinion on this issue. The DIC benefits claim is also remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer has been granted due to new and relevant evidence received since the previous denial. The Board finds that the Veteran's current disability is a condition that had its onset during his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pancreatic cancer, finding that it was caused by herbicide agent exposure and the service-connected diabetes mellitus. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
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