BVA9502762 
DOCKET NO.  93-07 072     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Roanoke,
Virginia

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

2.  Entitlement to service connection for residuals of frozen
hands.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESSES AT HEARING ON APPEAL

The veteran, his mother, his sister, his sister-in-law, and a
friend.

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Bernard T. DoMinh, Associate Counsel
INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from November 1952 to August
1954.

This matter comes to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on
appeal from a rating decision by the Roanoke, Virginia, Regional
Office (RO) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which
denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a
psychiatric disorder and residuals of frozen hands.

REMAND

A VA document indicates that the veteran's original claims folder
has been lost, a search for that folder would continue, and that
the current claims folder is a "rebuilt" file.  The National
Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has reported that it has no
service medical records concerning the veteran, such records
having apparently been destroyed in the 1973 fire at that Center.
Given the absence of the original claims folder and the service
medical records, and taking into account the evidence which is on
file, it is the judgment of the Board that there is a further
duty to assist the veteran in developing the facts pertinent to
his claims.  38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a); 38 C.F.R. §§ 3.103(a), 3.159
(1993).

In January 1992, following his December 1991 RO hearing, the
veteran submitted several VA Forms 21-4142 to permit the release
of medical records to the VA.  Some of these pertain to records
which are on file.  Some contain incomplete addresses, and the RO
did not attempt to secure the related medical records.  As to
these latter forms, the veteran should be given an opportunity to
provide full addresses to enable the RO to obtain the records.
He should understand that the RO is only obligated to obtain
identified records.  Gobber v. Derwinski, 2 Vet.App. 470 (1992).

Information on file indicates that the veteran has been receiving
Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits, and in
the judgment of the Board those records should be obtained.
Murincsak v. Derwinski, 2 Vet.App. 363 (1992).

Given the allegations that the veteran has a psychiatric disorder
and residuals of frozen feet due to combat service, any existing
service personnel records should be obtained.  (A January 1992 RO
deferred rating decision indicates that this was to be done, but
it apparently was not.)

The veteran has been provided with a VA compensation examination
with regard to a psychiatric disorder, but not with regard to the
claimed residuals of frozen hands.  In the judgment of the Board,
an examination with regard to frozen hands is warranted.  Green
v. Derwinski, 1 Vet.App. 121 (1991).

In view of the foregoing, the case is REMANDED for the following
action:

1.  The RO should make another attempt to
locate the veteran's original claims
folder.

2.  The RO should contact the NPRC and
request copies of the veteran's service
personnel records, as well as any recently
located service medical records.

3.  The RO should contact the SSA and
obtain copies of all medical records in the
possession of that agency, related to the
veteran's reported SSA disability benefits.
A copy of the SSA decision awarding
benefits should also be obtained.

4.  The RO should contact both the veteran
and his service representative, and they
should be given an opportunity to provide
complete identifying information (names,
addresses, dates of treatment) with regard
to the January 1992 VA Form 21-4142 for Dr.
McNamee, and the January 1992 VA Form 21-
4142 for Dr. Powell,
Dr. Kennel, Dr. Magal, and VA doctors.  If
the veteran provides satisfactory
identifying information, the RO should
contact the medical providers and obtain
the records, following the procedures of 38
C.F.R. § 3.159.

5.  After all records are obtained, the
veteran should undergo a VA examination to
ascertain whether or not he has residuals
of frozen hands.  The claims folder should
be provided to and reviewed by the
examiner, and all indicated special studies
should be performed.

Thereafter, the RO should review the claims.  If the claims are
denied, the veteran and his representative should be issued a
supplemental statement of the case and given an opportunity to
respond.  Then the case should be returned to the Board.

          L. W. TOBIN
          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).