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Two of the most famous cases of burned genealogical records are the 1890 US census and military files from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Here are tips for working with (and around) these records:
Military Records from NARA
Official Military Personnel Files of 20th-century American servicemen and women contain valuable information including length and type of military service, duty locations, performance evaluations, medical records, award citations, photos and more. A 1973 fire at the National Archives’ National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis affected 22 million files of Army and Air Force personnel discharged in 1912 and later.
- Survived: 6.5 million records, many with water or fire damage, including 20 percent of files for Army personnel discharged Nov. 1, 1912, to Jan. 1, 1960; and 25 percent of Air Force personnel discharged Sept. 25, 1947, to Jan. 1, 1964, for names alphabetically before James E. Hubbard.
- Availability: Surviving records are at NPRC. Request records older than 62 years from the service member’s separation date using the online ordering instructions. If the file you request was lost in the fire, the NPRC provides available information from alternate record sources. Records of those separated less than 62 years ago are restricted for privacy reasons; find more information on the NPRC website.
- Substitutes: The Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File and World War II Army Enlistment Records databases are free at Fold3; they’re also at Ancestry.com. Also use burial databases at the Nationwide Gravesite Locator (US burials) and the American Battle Monuments Commission (overseas burials). Check military records of specific conflicts at the National Archives and published unit histories and yearbooks.
From the October/November 2013 Family Tree Magazine
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