The Veteran's cancer may be related to exposure to Agent Orange while in service, but the agency of original jurisdiction needs to verify if he was within twelve nautical miles off the shores of Vietnam.
The deciding factor: Verification is needed to determine if the U.S.S. Los Angeles served in the legally recognized territorial limits of the Republic of Vietnam during the Veteran's time onboard.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma posterior mandibular gingival, vestibular region
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2022
- Citation
- A22021949
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 A22021949.
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
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.