The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a direct link between his anaplastic thyroid cancer and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cause of death and DIC benefits due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions, including his thyroid cancer and diabetes. The appellant is seeking service connection based on Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that there is at least a 50% chance (equipoise) that the Veteran's anaplastic thyroid cancer is due to his exposure to ionizing radiation during service aboard the USS New York City. The claim for service connection is therefore granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for anaplastic thyroid cancer, status-post lobectomy, with subsequent laryngeal nerve paralysis as secondary to radiation exposure. The evidence did not establish that the Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation during his military service and there is no evidence of record supporting a causal link between his diagnosed condition and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.