The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was etiologically related to service, specifically his in-service exposure to dioxin-based chemical herbicides (TCDD). As a result, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The opinions provided by Dr. C.H., a hematologist/oncologist, established that the Veteran's acute myelomonocytic leukemia was caused by his exposure to TCDD during his service in Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- Acute myelomonocytic leukemia, Accelerated phase myelofibrosis, Jak2 positive polycythemia vera
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26008017
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 A26008017.
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 Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition, and the appellant did not meet the requirements for DIC benefits or survivorship benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA opinion on whether the Veteran's in-service exposure to benzene caused his terminal leukemia.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's acute myelomonocytic leukemia was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence did not support a finding of radiation exposure during service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to acute myelomonocytic leukemia and meningeal carcinomatosis, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.
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