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Subject: [IOWA] Military records question
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 19:24:04 EST
If he served in the Navy, the records would not have been in the fire at NPRC
in St. Louis in July 1973. That fire burned 85% of the records for people in
the Army and about half of the Air Force records if the records were at the
records center. Navy and Marine records were not affected.
If the veteran was retired from the military odds are the records were at
Army Reserve Personnel Command also in St. Louis or Air Force retired center in
Denver.
If the veteran had filed a claim with the VA prior to the fire, their records
would be with the VA. Usually medical records and the discharge papers and
maybe personnel records too. The personnel records would show any place the
veteran was stationed. Sometimes temporary duty stations are shown. They would
also show campaigns, medals, and any discipline actions.
If the records were burned sometimes the service can be verified through pay
records which were stored separately. Sometimes medical records can be gotten
through clinical records which were hospital records stored separately from
the veterans copy of records. They are not the same as the veterans records, but
often show treatment. Unfortunately to access either of these records you
have to know the unit in which they served including regiment, company, battalion
and for clinical records the exact name of hospital or MASH unit where
treated.
Rumors have been rampant in recent years about the discovery of a second copy
of the records burned in the fire. Unfortunately there is no truth to this.
What was found is called Surgeon General Office records. These records were
kept mainly for statistics. They can show where and when a serviceperson was
treated and what for, but contain no medical or treatment information.
Jim in Vermont
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