BVA9505968 
DOCKET NO.  93-09 042     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Houston, Texas

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for hypertension.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: The American Legion

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

The veteran

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Mark D. Chestnutt, Associate Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active duty from April 1943 to December 1945.

The veteran's service medical records apparently are lost. He has
contended that he was initially found to have hypertension when
he attempted to join the paratroopers in or about May 1945. To
ensure that VA has met its duty to assist the appellant in
developing the facts pertinent to the claim, the case is REMANDED
to the regional office (RO) for the following development:

1.  The RO should attempt to obtain the
following information from the veteran: the
name/designation and location of the U.S.
Army unit(s) to which he was assigned
during the time in question, as well as
similar information regarding the paratroop
unit for which he was rejected.

2.  Given the information provided by the
veteran, the RO should attempt to obtain
copies of all service personnel records
which possibly could support the veteran's
claim.  All records obtained should be
associated with the claims folder.

Following the completion of the requested development, the RO
should review the case.  If the claim remains denied, the case
should be returned to the Board following appropriate appellate
processing.  No action is required by the veteran until he
receives further notice.  No indication is made by this remand as
to the outcome warranted in this case.

          WAYNE M. BRAEUER
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1994).