BVA9502628 
DOCKET NO.  93-08 413     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO)in
Atlanta, Georgia

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disorder.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Georgia Department of Veterans
Service

REMAND

The veteran had active duty from May 1951 to May 1953.  This
matter comes to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal
from an October 1991 decision of the RO.

The veteran contends that an injury during basic training
aggravated a preservice injury suffered in May 1947.  Reportedly,
he received extensive treatment for the injury which he was told
was a broken neck.  He states that he was subsequently put in a
transportation unit in Korea because of his inability to carry a
pack.  His statements concerned these inservice experiences are
supported by submitted lay statements.  Unfortunately, the
veteran's service medical records are not available for review in
this regard.  Given the nature of this case, the Board is of the
opinion that further development is required prior to appellate
handling of the claim.

To ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has met
its duty to assist the claimant in developing the facts pertinent
to the claim and to ensure full compliance with due process
requirements, the case is REMANDED to the regional office (RO)
for the following development:

1.  The RO should take appropriate steps to
contact the veteran in order to obtain
information concerning all medical care
rendered the veteran for his cervical spine
condition since 1947.  After securing the
necessary releases, the RO should obtain
copies of records from all indicated
treatment sources identified by the
veteran.  This should include those dealing
with the initial preservice injury suffered
by him in 1947.

2.  The veteran should be afforded a VA
orthopedic examination to current nature
and likely etiology of all cervical spine
pathology.  All indicated testing should be
done in this regard.  The claims folder
should be made available to the examiner
for review before the examination.  Based
on his/her review of the entire record and
a full clinical history elicited from the
veteran, the examiner should enter an
opinion as to the medical probability that
any currently demonstrated cervical spine
disability is the result of injury
sustained during service as claimed by the
veteran.  If any disorder is determined to
have existed prior to service, then the
examiner should state whether that
condition underwent an increase in severity
during service as claimed by the veteran.
A detailed explanation should accompany
this opinion.

3.  After the development requested above
has been completed to the extent possible,
the RO should again review the record.  If
any benefit sought on appeal, for which a
notice of disagreement has been filed,
remains denied, the appellant and
representative should be furnished a
supplemental statement of the case and
given the opportunity to respond thereto.

Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board, if in
order.  The Board intimates no opinion as to the ultimate outcome
of this case.  The appellant need take no action unless otherwise
notified.

          STEPHEN L. WILKINS
          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) (1993).