In evaluating the strength of a statement or affidavit take care to weigh each statement
on its merits. An aged individual can give a vivid and convincing statement, particularly
when some event in the individual's life recalls an association with the claimant's
DB, the individual appears alert, etc.
Even so, such statements and affidavits are not usually convincing evidence in themselves;
however, they can become valuable in corroborating alleged DB's in material discrepancy cases
when evidence in file does not clearly establish one DB or the other.