BVA9507194 
DOCKET NO.  93-14 381     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Petersburg,
Florida

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's
death.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the
United States

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

John D. Nachmann, Associate Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran had almost continuous active naval service from
February 1956 to March 1979.  The veteran died in March 1992.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board)
on appeal from a rating decision of November 1992 by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) St. Petersburg, Florida,
Regional Office (RO).

REMAND

In response to the RO's request for the veteran's service medical
records, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) indicated
that none of the veteran's health records were available.
Subsequent to the appellant's claim being certified to the Board,
additional documents were associated with the claims file.
Included among these documents were copies of some of the
veteran's service medical records which had not been previously
supplied by the appellant.  This indicates that the appellant may
not have submitted to the RO all of the records in her possession
that may be relevant to her current appeal.  Such records may
include not only the veteran's service medical records, but also
reports of his hospitalization at Memorial Hospital in 1992.

Regardless of whether the appellant currently has additional
records relevant to her claim in her possession, the Board notes
that she has not waived her procedural right to have the evidence
that was associated with the claims file subsequent to the
certification of her appeal reviewed by the RO.  See 38 C.F.R.
§ 20.1304(c) (1994).

Therefore, in order to give the appellant every consideration
with respect to the present appeal, it is the Board's opinion
that further development of the case is warranted.  Accordingly,
this case is REMANDED for the following actions:

1.  The RO should contact the appellant,
through her representative, and ask her to
submit all of the veteran's service medical
records as well as private medical records
in her possession.  All documents obtained
should be associated with the claims file.

2.  After the development in the above
paragraph has been completed to the extent
possible, the RO should consider all of the
evidence that has been associated with the
claims file since the certification of the
appeal to the Board.  If the determination
remains adverse to the appellant, the case
should be returned to the Board after
compliance with the provisions for
processing appeals, including the issuance
of a supplemental statement of the case and
provision of the applicable time period for
response thereto.

The purpose of this REMAND is to obtain additional development,
and the Board does not intimate any opinion as to the merits of
the case, either favorable or unfavorable, at this time.  No
action is required of the appellant until she is notified.

          JACQUELINE E. MONROE
          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).