BVA9501198 
DOCKET NO.  93-06 239     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Little Rock,
Arkansas

THE ISSUES

1.  Entitlement to service connection for back and kidney
disorders.

2.  Entitlement to a permanent and total disability rating for
pension purposes.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Richard F. Williams, Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty, from February to June 1969,
for approximately four months during the Vietnam Era.

This matter comes to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on
appeal from a July 1992 decision by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), Little Rock, Arkansas, Regional Office (RO), which
denied the veteran's claims for service connection for back and
kidney disorders and a permanent and total disability rating for
pension purposes.  He testified at a hearing conducted at the RO
in November 1992.

REMAND

The veteran contends that his back and kidney disorders began
during active service and that he was treated for these
disabilities in service.  He further claims that he is entitled
to a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes
because the combined effect of his disabilities prevents him from
obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

Complete service information is not on file, such information
having last been traced to St. Louis, Missouri, following an
initial search by the RO.  Available information does show that
the veteran's period of service ended abruptly, that he was
discharged under honorable conditions, and may have been
discharged for medical or other reasons.  His Form DD 214 shows
that he was in the Navy.  Affiants have declared that he was
discharged from service due to the claimed service reasons.
Although it is clear efforts have been made to obtain the claims
folder from its last location, it does not appear that the
service department has been contacted to obtain copies of all
records pertaining to the veteran's discharge.

As to the pension claim, examiners have said that no records were
available for review, although it is clear from the current
record that VA medical reports had been generated, and the
psychiatric examiner has suggested that the presence of a
psychosis needs to be ruled out, implying that further study
needs to conducted.

Hence, this case is REMANDED to the RO for the following actions:

1.  The RO should have the military record
specialist (M21-1, Part III, paragraph
4.09) make additional efforts to obtain the
veteran's service medical records
(including all secondary records and any
existing service personnel records).

2.  The veteran should be asked to prepare
a detailed list of examinations or
treatment he has received (before, during,
and after service).  He should list names
and addresses of medical providers and
dates of examination or treatment.  The RO
should then directly contact the medical
providers and obtain the records in
accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.159.

3.  The veteran should undergo VA social
and industrial survey, focusing on his
psychiatric and employability status.  The
claims folder should be made available to
the social worker, who should take note of
all historical information.  The social
worker should enter an opinion concerning
the extent of the veteran's capacity to
engage in substantially gainful employment.

4.  After the above development, the
veteran should be scheduled for VA
examinations to determine the severity of
his disabilities.  All indicated studies,
including range of motion measured in
degrees, and
X-ray studies, should be performed and all
clinical findings reported in detail.  The
examiners should express opinions as to the
severity of any restriction of motion,
including any functional limitation due to
pain, as well as assessment of the overall
degree of functional loss caused by the
pathologies.  The examiners should support
all opinions by discussing medical
principles as applied to specific medical
evidence in this case.  In order to assist
the physicians in providing the requested
information, the claims folder must be made
available and reviewed prior to the
examinations.

5.  After the above information is
associated with the claims files, the RO
should review the claims.

If the veteran is dissatisfied with the RO's decision, an
appropriate supplemental statement of the case should be issued,
and he and his representative should be afforded an opportunity
to respond before the case is returned to the Board for further
appellate consideration.

          M. CHEEK
          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).