The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for ischemic heart disease with myocardial infarction is granted. Entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction and ischemia due to exposure to herbicide agents on a facts found basis is also granted. The claims for service connection for idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel disease and stroke syndrome are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's military personnel records confirm he served in Thailand, where he was exposed to herbicides during his active duty as a base maintenance equipment repairman. His current diagnoses of coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction and ischemia, idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and stroke syndrome are presumed related to his in-service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction and ischemia, idiopathic chronic inflammatory bowel disease, stroke syndrome
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 2, 2023
- Citation
- 23012857
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 23012857.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as presumptively related to his service in the Gulf War, specifically aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Mataco.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a heart disability prior to his death is granted as he was entitled to accrued benefits due to the September 1994 claim, which included ischemic heart disease, a covered herbicide disease.
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