The Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand and Vietnam is presumed, leading to the grant of service connection for his cause of death due to atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was found to have been exposed to herbicides during his service on Air Force bases in Thailand and Vietnam, which is presumed based on his military duties. The diagnoses of atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, are recognized as presumptively associated with such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Atherosclerotic heart disease, Diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2022
- Citation
- 22034650
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 22034650.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the lack of development related to Agent Orange exposure and solvent/asbestos exposure.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of August 10, 2022 for hypertension and July 25, 2023 for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus.,The Veteran's conditions were found to have manifested no later than the dates specified in their respective effective dates.
- Granted
The Board has restored a 60 percent disability rating for ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and atherosclerotic heart disease (IHD) effective September 13, 2023. The decision concludes that the reduction in rating from 60 percent to 30 percent was not proper due to actual improvement in the Veteran's condition under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for DIC benefits, finding that the Appellant's claim was not properly reopened and that the earliest available effective date is June 14, 2021.
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