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A. a.(1)(a) i) a)S%&'    A_ekqwDocumentDocument StyleI.1.A.a.(1)(a)i)a)($0 ($0 0 (($0 0 0 jo4Tech InitInitialize Technical StyleS )  1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 S CuyTechnicalTechnical Document Style11.11.1.11.1.1.11.1.1.1.11.1.1.1.1.11.1.1.1.1.1.11.1.1.1.1.1.1.1xFZ2PleadingHeader for numbered pleading paper +Ka:; _ ,(  XQXXXQXX>./'*d>>./'*d>\ 1\ 2\ 3\ 4\ 5\ 6\ 7\ 8\ 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28"  .+ '++"(2B$ !  ݸi"3 d&$2PB0HeadingChapter Heading@..  2I.3  Ԁ   Ԉ tO 4Right ParRight-Aligned Paragraph Numbers.. 2I.3  Ԁ  0..L=6SubheadingSubheading 2A.3  ..    &$1)\  `&TmsRmnLegal ProXXt\  PPUXP3|x|Hv|(@ Z 6Times New Roman Regular(@ Z 6Times New Roman Regular| !  7XXdd7 e     ;XXXX=XXdd=@  UNITEDSTATESCOURTOFVETERANSAPPEALS   @%%%No.96840   ` @mmJoseM.Macarubbo,Appellant, . ~ @)v.@"HershelW.Gober,@P P ActingSecretaryofVeteransAffairs,Appellee.    @e e OnAppealfromtheBoardofVeterans'Appeals@bb(DecidedAugustAugust25,1997񀀀% 9 )  JoseM.Macarubbo,prose.    MaryLouKeener,GeneralCounsel;RonGarvin,AssistantGeneralCounsel;JoanE. t Moriarty,ActingDeputyAssistantGeneralCounsel;andJohnD.McNameewereonthepleadings Z fortheappellee.  BeforeNEBEKER,ChiefJudge,andKRAMERandIVERS,Judges.  \   KRAMER,Judge,filedtheopinionoftheCourt.NEBEKER,ChiefJudge,fileda ( concurringopinion.  KRAMER,Judge:Theappellant,JoseM.Macarubbo,appealsaMay16,1996,decisionof   theBoardofVeterans'Appeals(BVAorBoard)thatdeterminedthatunder38U.S.C.6104(a)hehadforfeitedhisrighttoveteransbenefits,duetohismembershipintheBureauofConstabulary(BC)inthePhilippinesduringWorldWarII.Record(R.)at38.Thisappealistimely,andtheCourthasjurisdictionpursuantto38U.S.C.7252(a).Forthereasonsthatfollow,theCourtwillvacatethedecisionoftheBVAandremandthematter.  ThisCourtreviewstheBVA'sfindingsregardingforfeitureasaquestionoffactunderthe"clearlyerroneous"standardofreview.SeeTulinganv.Brown,9Vet.App.484,486(1996);Wood )I%- v.Derwinski,1Vet.App.190,192(1991).Underthisstandard"ifthereisa'plausible'basisinthe R+&/ recordforthefactualdeterminationsoftheBVA...[theCourt]cannotoverturnthem."Gilbert ,'1 v.Derwinski,1Vet.App.49,53(1990).InorderfortheCourttoreviewsuchfindingsproperly,the  Boardisrequiredtoprovideawrittenstatementofthereasonsorbasesforitsfindingsandconclusionsonallmaterialissuesoffactandlawpresentedontherecord;thestatementmustbeadequatetoenableaclaimanttounderstandtheprecisebasisfortheBoard'sdecision,aswellastofacilitatereviewinthisCourt.See38U.S.C.7104(d)(1);Simonv.Derwinski,2Vet.App.621,622 $ t (1992);Masorsv.Derwinski,2Vet.App.181,188(1992);Gilbert,1Vet.App.at57(Boarddecision    mustprovideCourtwithadequatebasisforjudicialreview).Thuserefore,theBoardisrequired,inmakingfindingsoffact,,% 8 theBoardisrequired"toconsideranddiscussallevidenceonbothsidesoftheissue,andtoreconcileanyconflictsamongsuchevidenceor,alternatively,provideanexplanationofthereasonsforrejectingevidencefavorabletotheclaimantordeterminingthatsuchevidenceisoflittlerelativeweightorprobativevalue."Bucklingerv.Brown,5Vet.App.435,43839(1993);seeCaluzav.Brown, R  7Vet.App.498,506(1995),aff'd,78F.3d604(Fed.Cir.1996)(table);Gabrielsonv.Brown,  7Vet.App.36,3940(1994);Gilbert,supra.  \   Insupportingitsfindings,theBVAbasicallyprovidedtwolinesofreasonsorbases,bothofwhichtheCourtfindsdeficient.First,theBVA,notinganOctober1944reportfromAmericanheadquarters(thatisnotincludedintherecordonappeal(ROA)butwhichtheCourtwillassumeitcouldtakejudicialnoticeof(seeTulingan,supra)),statedthattheappellant'smembershipinthe   BC"constitute[d]primafacieevidenceofrenderingassistancetoanenemyoftheUnitedStatesanditsallies."R.at5.Second,theBVAstatedthat"VArecognizestheBCashavingbeenpartoftheJapanesemilitaryoccupationandadministrationofthePhilippines,andaspartoftheJapaneseImperialForces"andthat"membersoftheBChelpedJapaneseforcescontrolthelocalpopulation,madepledgesofallegiancetotheJapaneseGovernment,wereissuedweapons,andweresometimesusedagainstAmericanforces."R.at56.Withrespecttothefirststatement,theBVAdoesnotciteanystatuteorregulationtosupportitsstatementoflawthatBCservice,perse,constitutesrenderingassistancetoanenemy,noristheCourtawareoftheexistenceofanysuchstatuteorregulation.Withrespecttothesecondstatement,"VArecognition"doesnotconstitutecompetentevidencetosupportafinding.IthasbeenfundamentalfromthecreationoftheCourtthattheBVAmustrelyonlyonevidencesubstantiatedbytherecordandnotrelyonevidencefoundonlyinthemindoftheadjudicator.SeeFerrarov.Derwinski,1Vet.App.326,33132(1991)(Board"merelyofferedits *,&8 ownopinion"indeterminingthattheappellant'sdisabilitiesdidnotpreventhimfromworking,"a 9,': techniquethisCourthaspreviouslydeterminedtobeinadequate");Murphyv.Derwinski,1Vet.App.  78,81(1990);Gilbert,1Vet.App.at5657("[a]bare% : %  conclusorystatement,withoutsupporting  ] analysisandexplanation,isneitherhelpfultotheveteran,nor'clearenoughtopermiteffectivejudicial% = review',norincompliancewithstatutoryrequirements");cf.Colvinv.Derwinski,  М1Vet.App.171,175(1991)(Boardmaynotrelyonitsownunsubstantiatedmedicalopinions).  Finally,theCourtnotes,inviewoftheabove,thattheSecretary's"MotionforSummaryϜAffirmance,"whichdoesnotdiscussanyoftheevidenceofrecordbutsimplycitestotheROA,fallsfarshortoftherequirementsofRules28(b)(1)and28(a)(4)oftheCourt'sRulesofPracticeandProcedure.  Onthebasisoftheforegoingandconsiderationoftheparties'pleadingsandtherecordonappeal,theMay16,1996,BVAdecisionisVACATEDandthematterREMANDEDforproceedingsconsistentwiththisopinion.Theappellantisfreetosubmitadditionalevidenceand#X7'XX;Xw#<XXXX7'argumentonremand.SeeQuarlesv.Derwinski,3Vet.App.129,14041(1992).   \ М  NEBEKER,ChiefJudge,concurring:BecausetheBoard'sprofferedreasonsandbasesare  inadequate,Iagreewithmycolleaguesthatremandistheappropriateoutcomeintheinstantcase.TheBoard'sdecisiondoesnot,inanyway,addresstheappellant'sassertionthathewasforcedtojointheBC.However,anadequatelyexplainedfindingofmembershipintheBC,absentcoercion,isanadequatebasistodenybenefits,standingalone.SeeTulinganv.Brown,9Vet.App.484 :$ (1996).  TotheextentthattheCourt'sopinionimpliesthatastatuteorregulationisanecessarypredicatefortheBoard'stakingofofficialnoticeoftheOctober1944report(seeR.at56),our Q!* Tulinganopinionsuggestsotherwise.Tulingan,9Vet.App.at486.Assuch,theCourt'spresent ", opinioncannotbereadasinconsistentwithTulingan,absentanenbancdecision.#X7'XX<XN#;XXXX#X"XX;X #