BVA9502467 
DOCKET NO.  93-09 917     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in New Orleans,
Louisiana

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for post-traumatic stress
disorder.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESSES AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant, his spouse and mother

REMAND

The veteran had active duty from April 1965 to February 1966.

The veteran has claimed that he was involved in a fire-fight,
that he engaged in combat, that he saw his share of bodies, and
that he went out on patrols that were attacked.  However, the
veteran was not sufficiently precise in identifying the claimed
stressors.

In view of the foregoing, it is the decision of the Board that
this case should be REMANDED for the following actions:

1.  The RO should contact the veteran and
request that he furnish a written
statement, listing with as much specificity
as possible, the stressors he claims to
have experienced in Vietnam.  He should be
requested to furnish the dates of any
events he witnessed or participated in, and
the names of any persons he saw wounded or
killed.  He should explain the
circumstances under which he saw his share
of bodies and explain with detail the date
and place of his involvement in a fire-
fight.  In regard to the report of patrols,
he should explain what happened on the
patrols, where the patrols took place, when
the patrols took place, and identify
persons who were on the patrol with him.

2.  The RO should attempt to secure all of
the veteran's service personnel records, as
well as any relevant morning reports and
reports of personnel casualties for the
units the veteran served with in Vietnam.
Any records so obtained should be
associated with the claims folder.

3.  The RO should contact the United States
Army and Joint Services Environmental
Support Group (ESG), 7798 Cissna Road,
Springfield, Virginia 22150.  That
organization should be requested to attempt
to verify any stressors reported by the
veteran.  If the organization is unable to
verify the claimed events, that should be
noted in the record.

4.  The veteran should be afforded an
examination by a board of two VA
psychiatrists in order to determine the
correct psychiatric diagnosis.  In order
that they have an accurate history, the
claims folder should be made available to
them prior to the examination.  Any
indicated psychological testing should be
conducted.  The examiners should identify
all current psychiatric pathology.  If
post-traumatic stress disorder is
diagnosed, the examiners should identify
the stressors that support the diagnosis.

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.

          H. N. SCHWARTZ
          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).