93 Decision Citation: BVA 93-08181

 Y93 

                 BOARD OF VETERANS' APPEALS
                   WASHINGTON, D.C. 20420

DOCKET NO.  92-15 043       )    DATE
                            )
                            )
                            )

                          THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for cause of death.

                       REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by:  Department of Veterans Affairs,
                           California

                   ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Robert E. P. Jones, Associate Counsel
                        INTRODUCTION

The veteran served on active duty from October 1942 to May
1946 and from February 1952 to July 1968.  The appellant is
the widow of the veteran.  This matter came before the Board
of Veterans' Appeals (hereinafter the Board) on appeal from
a February 1991 rating decision by the Los Angeles,
California, Regional Office (RO).  The notice of
disagreement was received in March 1991 and a statement of
the case was issued in July 1991.  The substantive appeal
was received in August 1991.  A supplemental statement of
the case was issued in September 1991.  The appeal was
docketed at the Board in August 1992.  The appellant has
been represented throughout her appeal by the California,
Department of Veterans Affairs.

                           REMAND

The appellant is claiming service connection for the cause
of the veteran's death.  The veteran died in August 1990
from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  The appellant contends
that the veteran committed suicide because he was depressed
due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities,
which included arteriosclerotic heart disease with
hypertension.  The appellant submitted military hospital
medical records dated from December 1980 through August
1987.  She also submitted a report of physical examination
by Thomas M. Elder III, M.D., performed in August 1987.
These records indicate that the medicine prescribed to the
veteran to control his hypertension caused him to become
severely depressed.  The record, however, does not contain
the military hospital outpatient treatment records from
August 1987 until his death in August 1990.

In light of the foregoing, it is the judgment of the Board
that further evidentiary development of this case is in
order.  Accordingly, this case is hereby REMANDED to the
agency of original jurisdiction for the following action:

         1.  The RO should contact the United
         States Air Force Hospital, George Air
         Force Base, California, and request all
         of the veteran's treatment records, both
         inpatient and outpatient, subsequent to
         July 1968.  All records obtained should
         be associated with the veteran's claims
         folder.

         2.  The RO should contact the appellant
         and request that she provide the names
         and addresses of all other sources of
         medical treatment received by the veteran
         subsequent to July 1968.  The RO should
         contact the named sources and request
         copies of all treatment records of the
         veteran.  All copies obtained should be
         associated with the veteran's claims
         folder.

When the above development has been completed, the RO should
review this claim.  In the event findings remain adverse to
the appellant, she and her representative should be
furnished a supplemental statement of the case and be
afforded the appropriate opportunity within which to
respond.  The case should then be returned to the Board
after compliance with all appropriate appellate procedure.
No action is required of the appellant unless she receives
further notice.

The Board intimates no opinion, either legal or factual, as
to the disposition warranted in this case pending completion
of the above action.


                 BOARD OF VETERANS' APPEALS
                   WASHINGTON, D.C. 20420

                                 *
    CHARLES E. HOGEBOOM          (MEMBER TEMPORARILY ABSENT)

                      WAYNE M. BRAEUER

                                  (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)
*38 U.S.C.A. § 7102(a)(2)(A) (West 1991) permits a Board of
Veterans' Appeals Section, upon direction of the Chairman of
the Board, to proceed with the transaction of business
without awaiting assignment of an additional Member to the
Section when the Section is composed of fewer than three
Members due to absence of a Member, vacancy on the Board or
inability of the Member assigned to the Section to serve on
the panel.  The Chairman has directed that the Section
proceed with the transaction of business, including the
issuance of decisions, without awaiting the assignment of a
third Member.

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.  57 Fed.
Reg. 4126 (1992) (to be codified as 38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b)).