231.
        During a VA medical examination in November 2000, Mr. Dingess reported that he was
experiencing the following symptoms: Nightmares, disruptive sleep, bursts of rage and irritability,
extreme depression, little or no concentration, and crowd avoidance. Id. at 372. According to the
examination report, Mr. Dingess stated that his symptoms "caused him to end his small business of
selling used appliances and furniture out of his house." Id. He also reported his belief that his
Vietnam experiences led to "his inability to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment."
Id. The medical examiner diagnosed Mr. Dingess as having "[PTSD], chronic, moderate" and stated:
"The major stressors in the veteran's life at present are his criminal probation, his financial
inadequacy, his relative homelessness[,] and psychiatric symptoms which are interfering with his
abilityin his statement in support of his claim,
he stated as follows: "I'm filing [for] service connection for PTSD. I have a stressor that I was
awarded the Purple Heart." Id. He made no statement regarding an effective date. A July 1999 RO
decision awarded him service connection for his PTSD, and assigned a 70% disability rating,
effective April 15, 1999. Id. at 144-48. In February 2000, the RO awarded a TDIU rating, effective
from April 15, 1999, and denied an effective date earlier than April 15, 1999, for the award of
service connection for his PTSD. Id. at 177-79. In February 2001, he disagreed with the effective
date for his award of service connection for PTSD. Id. at 181-82. He maintained that the effective
date should be the date of his discharge from the Army.