BVA9500017 
DOCKET NO.  93-05876      )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Columbia, South
Carolina

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for bronchiectasis.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: The American Legion

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Appellant

INTRODUCTION

In an August 1992 statement, the veteran referred to a claim for
pension.  The regional office (RO) is requested to take
appropriate action.

REMAND

The veteran had active service from August 1944 to March 1946.

The issue which was developed and certified on appeal was
characterized as whether new and material evidence has been
submitted to re-open a claim of entitlement to service connection
for bronchiectasis.  However, the issue is properly characterized
as set forth on the title page of this decision because new and
material evidence has, in fact, been submitted since the last
final decision on the merits.  (See Glynn v. Brown, 6 Vet. App.
523 (1994), wherein the United States Court of Veterans Appeals
held that in order to determine whether a claim is re-opened,
review must be made of all of the evidence submitted by a
claimant since the last final denial of the merits of a claim.)
In this case, the April 1966 statement from W.D. Hastings, M.D.
was received after the last final denial of the merits of this
claim.  This statement is both new and material evidence with
respect to whether bronchiectasis is related to service and,
accordingly, the claim is re-opened and should be adjudicated as
such.

In addition, the record shows that there are outstanding medical
records which are relevant to the issue under consideration.
These records should be obtained before case is decided.

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

1.  The RO is to take the necessary steps
to obtain the following private medical
records: all records from Dr. Richard
Pollitzer which date from 1949; all records
from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center
which date from 1948; all records from Dr.
Charles Hanna which date from 1954; all
records from Dr. H.H. Koopman which date
from 1947; and all records from Dr. P.M.
Temples which date from 1949.

2.  The RO is to take the necessary steps
to obtain copies of all of the veteran's
records from the Columbia, South Carolina,
VA Medical Center which date from 1948 and
of all his records from the Greenville
South Carolina VA Outpatient Clinic.

3.  When the aforementioned development has
been completed, the RO is to schedule the
veteran for a VA pulmonary examination by a
Board certified specialist, if possible.
The purpose of the examination is to
establish whether bronchiectasis is related
to service.  The examination should be
conducted in accordance with the
Physician's Guide.  Any indicated tests
should be accomplished.  The examiner is
then to express an opinion as to: (1) did
bronchiectasis have its onset in service,
and, if not, the probable date of onset;
and (2) was bronchiectasis caused by or
related to the respiratory symptoms in
service?  The reasoning which forms the
basis of this opinion should be set forth
in detail.  The claims folder mustbe made
available for the examiner's review prior
to the examination, and it is requested
that the examiner indicate affirmatively in
the report that this has, in fact, been the
case.

4.  When this development has been
completed, the RO should review the claim
on its merits.  If it remains in a denied
status, the veteran and his representative
should be provided with an appropriate
supplemental statement of the case.  The
case should then be returned to the Board.

          NANCY I. PHILLIPS
          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).