The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Okinawa, Japan, and therefore grants service connection for a heart condition, including coronary artery disease status-post myocardial infarction, as due to herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's consistent reports of transporting and carrying barrels containing herbicides during his service in Okinawa, Japan, credible and consistent with his MOS and service records. The evidence is in approximate balance regarding whether he was exposed to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- heart condition, coronary artery disease status-post myocardial infarction
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2024
- Citation
- 24015536
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 24015536.
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.
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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 claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, and headaches have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart condition, BPH, COPD, and hypertension are remanded due to the lack of evidence regarding his exposure to toxic substances during military service.
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