The Veteran's B-cell leukemia is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during service at Takhli Air Force Base in Thailand. The Board found it likely that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents and granted his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served near the base perimeter where herbicide agents were used, and he has a current diagnosis of B-cell leukemia which is associated with exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- B-cell leukemia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20064205
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (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 20064205.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for CLL, B-cell leukemia, and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on a presumptive basis due to in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran served within the territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam during his active duty.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was denied in December 2018. The effective date of the award of service connection is May 21, 2018. The Veteran's claim for service connection for B-cell leukemia was granted with a 100% rating effective June 4, 2020. The initial rating for coronary artery disease remains at 60%.
- Partly granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle condition and denied service connection for exposure to contaminated water in Camp Lejeune. The claims for other conditions are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is due to his service-connected B-cell leukemia, which was presumed to be caused by herbicide agent exposure during his service in Thailand. The Board granted the claim for service connection.
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