The Veteran did not have sufficient wartime active duty service for survivor pension benefits.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's death was caused by a service-connected disability, and he had no pending claims for compensation at the time of his death.,The Appellant's application for nonservice-connected burial benefits was denied as she did not personally pay for the Veteran's burial expenses.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served less than one year during a period when service connection is not considered wartime service, and there is no evidence of any service-connected disability at the time of his death.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disease, ruptured esophagus, aortoenteric fistula
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22027458
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 22027458.
What this means for you
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The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and low back pain due to potential errors in duty to assist. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents and obtain private treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for artery disease, COPD, diabetes, and heart disease due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not have the required wartime service for pension benefits.
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