Citation Nr: 18106968
Decision Date: 06/01/18	Archive Date: 05/31/18

DOCKET NO. 14-01 474
DATE:	June 1, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from July 1970 to April 1974.
This matter comes to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2011 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The Veteran testified at a personal hearing before the Board in March 2016, and a transcript of the hearing is of record.

1. Entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease is remanded.
2. Entitlement to service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus is remanded.
The Veteran contends that he is entitled to service connection for coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus as a result of exposure to herbicide agents during his service onboard the USS ORISKANY.  Specifically, the Veteran testified during a personal hearing before the Board on March 2016 that he flew as a passenger on a C-1 aircraft to Vietnam and briefly set foot on land before returning to the USS ORISKANY.  See Transcript.  If the Veteran’s report is accurate, then exposure to herbicide agents may be presumed.  Service connection for coronary artery disease (also known as ischemic heart disease) and type 2 diabetes mellitus is presumed related to exposure to herbicide agents.  If the Veteran’s claim is accurate then there are possibly records in federal custody memorializing such a flight such as the flight logs from the USS ORISKANY during the pertinent period of time.  This is sufficient to trigger VA’s duty to assist, and these issues must be remanded in order to develop the record.  38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)(2).
3. Entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities is remanded.
4. Entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is remanded.
The Veteran contends that he is entitled to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities as secondary to his type 2 diabetes.  These issues are inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus and must be remanded as well.  Harris v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 180 (1991).
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
1. Associate any treatment records with the record that have not already been obtained.
2. Contact the Joint Service Records Research Center (JSRRC) or other appropriate federal records office in order to determine whether or not there is any documentation of a flight of a C-1 aircraft from the USS ORISKANY to Vietnam on which the Veteran was a documented passenger at any time from July 13, 1970 to April 12, 1974.  If such documentation cannot be found, then documentation of the steps taken to verify the Veteran’s report should be memorialized in the claims file.
3. Take any other development action warranted as a result of any information obtained pursuant to the above paragraphs.
 
BARBARA B. COPELAND
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	David R. Seaton, Associate Counsel