Aracelis Rodriguez, Claimant-Appellant v. Togo D. West, Jr., Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Before PLAGER, Circuit Judge, FRIEDMAN, Senior Circuit Judge, and SCHALL, Circuit Judge.

FRIEDMAN, Senior Circuit Judge.

The primary issue in this appeal is whether the Court of Veterans Appeals (the name of which was changed to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims on March 1,1999) correctly held that an informal claim for benefits filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs (Department) must be in writing. We affirm.

I

The appellant Rodriguez’s deceased husband served in the Army from 1951 to 1953. In August 1979, following his death, Rodriguez filed with the Department’s regional office…