The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his exposure to herbicides while in active service contributed to his pancreatic adenocarcinoma and Diabetes Mellitus Type II.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran went ashore to the Republic of Vietnam, and his death certificate listed both pancreatic cancer and DM as significant conditions contributing to death. Given the presumption for herbicide exposure in Vietnam, service connection was granted.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, Diabetes Mellitus Type II
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25011096
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25011096.
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 diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) as due to herbicide agent exposure, finding that he has not been diagnosed with DMII at any point during the period on appeal.
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- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted, with effective dates set at October 18, 2023. The lumbosacral strain has also received a higher initial rating.
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The Veteran's coronary artery disease is rated at 100 percent effective April 13, 2023.,The Veteran's other trauma and stressor related disorder is rated at 70 percent effective April 13, 2023.
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