Citation Nr: 18139657
Decision Date: 09/28/18	Archive Date: 09/28/18

DOCKET NO. 16-17 475
DATE:	September 28, 2018
REMANDED
The issue of service connection for cause of death claimed as the result of herbicide agent exposure is remanded.  
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran had active service from January 1969 to October 1971.  He died in October 2014.  The Appellant is the Veteran’s surviving spouse.  
The Appellant asserts that service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death is warranted as the ultimately fatal disorders were caused by his in service exposure to Agent Orange on Okinawa.  
The October 2014 death certificate indicates that the Veteran died while an inpatient at St. Francis Medical Center.  Clinical documentation of the Veteran’s hospitalization and final treatment is not of record.  
VA should obtain all relevant VA and private treatment records which could potentially be helpful in resolving the Veteran’s claims.  Murphy v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 78 (1990); Bell v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 611 (1992).  
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
Ask the Appellant to complete a VA Form 21-4142 for St. Francis Medical Center.  Make two requests for any relevant records including the Veteran’s October 2014 final hospitalization unless it is clear after the first request that a second request would be futile.  

 
J. T. HUTCHESON
Acting Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	A. Hemphill, Associate Counsel

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