BVA9505956 
DOCKET NO.  93-10 419     )       DATE
          )
          )

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

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability
due to service-connected disability.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: Disabled American Veterans

INTRODUCTION

The veteran had active duty from July 1942 to December 1945.

This matter comes to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on
appeal from a December 1991 decision by the RO.

REMAND

The veteran contends in connection with the present appeal that
he is precluded from performing substantially gainful employment
due to his severe service-connected impairment of visual acuity.
When examined by VA in June 1991, it was noted that the veteran
had visual acuity of "bear LP" in the right eye and "2200" on the
left.  Recently received medical evidence now indicates visual
acuity of 20/400 in the left eye.  Thus, the current severity of
the visual loss and its impact on the veteran's ability to work
at substantially gainful employment is not clear to the Board.
Further development of the record is indicated.

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
obtain copies of all clinical records
referable to VA treatment received by the
veteran since 1992.  After securing these
documents, the RO should incorporate them
into the record.

2.  The veteran should be afforded a
special VA examination by an
ophthalmologist in order to determine the
current severity of the service-connected
visual disability.  All indicated testing
should be performed in this regard, and
detailed findings should be recorded in a
legible manner.  The claims folder should
be made available to the examiner for
review.  Based on this review and his
examination findings, the examiner should
render an opinion as to the medical
probability that the veteran is prevented
from performing substantially gainful
employment due solely to his service-
connected visual disability.

3.  After the development requested above
has been completed to the extent possible,
the RO should again review the veteran's
claim.  If the benefit sought on appeal
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).