What the 1973 fire means for your family
Last checked 2026-10-18. Written in plain English by Veteran Records Finder; not legal advice.
Short answer: On July 12, 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed an estimated 16 to 18 million military personnel files. It hit Army and Air Force records hardest. If your veteran was in the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard, the fire did not affect their file. Even if the file burned, the story usually is not lost. Other records can fill much of it back in.
Veteran Records Finder is independent and not affiliated with the National Archives, the VA or the Department of Defense.
Was my veteran's file affected?
Check two things: branch, and discharge date.
| Branch | Discharged between | Estimated share lost |
|---|---|---|
| Army | November 1, 1912 and January 1, 1960 | about 80% |
| Air Force | September 25, 1947 and January 1, 1964, and last name alphabetically after "Hubbard, James E." | about 75% |
| Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard | any date | not affected |
So: a WWII or Korean War Army veteran has a high chance their file was lost or damaged. An Air Force veteran named Adams from 1955 was not in the burned range. One named Wilson from 1955 was.
There was no backup copy and no index made before the fire, so nobody has a list of exactly which files burned. The only way to know for sure is to ask NPRC for the record.
"Burned" does not always mean "gone"
About 6.5 million files were pulled out burned or soaked and saved. NPRC keeps them in a special area and calls them "B-files." Some pages are charred at the edges but still readable. If your veteran's file is one of these, NPRC may send copies with burn marks, or a summary.
If the file is gone, NPRC tries to rebuild the basic facts (dates, rank, unit, awards) from other records. It calls these "auxiliary records." This is slower than a normal request, but it is free for next of kin.
What can rebuild the story
These records survived because they were kept somewhere else:
- Final pay vouchers. The last payment record often shows the unit and dates.
- Army morning reports. Daily company reports that name soldiers who joined, left, were wounded or were promoted. NPRC holds them. You need to know the unit to search.
- VA claim files. If the veteran ever applied for VA benefits, the VA's file may hold a copy of the discharge.
- Selective Service records. WWII draft cards show name, address, birth date and employer.
- WWII Army enlistment records. A free online database at the National Archives covers about 9 million soldiers, with service number, enlistment date and place, and home county.
- Hospital admission cards (1942 to 1954). A National Archives database built from Army medical records, often with unit and diagnosis.
- Unit histories and after-action reports. Once you know the unit, these show where it went, day by day.
- Home sources. The family Bible, letters home (the APO number on the envelope points to a unit), photos showing patches and insignia, hometown newspaper stories, and a copy of the discharge the veteran may have recorded at the county courthouse.
What to do, step by step
- Gather what the family has. Discharge paper, letters, photos, medals, newspaper clippings, the obituary.
- Request the record anyway. Use eVetRecs online or an SF-180 by mail or fax. Add the place of discharge, last unit and place of entry if you know them. These help with a fire-damaged file. See How to get a DD-214.
- Check the county clerk where the veteran lived after the war. Many WWII veterans recorded their discharge there.
- Search the free databases above, or let us do it. Our free report searches several of them at once and tells you which facts are confirmed and which are only possible.
- Find the unit. With the unit, you can unlock morning reports and unit histories. See How to find which unit Grandpa was in.
A note on medals
If the file burned, the family may still get medals the veteran earned. NPRC verifies the awards from what survives and sends the request on to the branch. Send any proof you have, such as the discharge paper, which usually lists decorations.
How long it takes
NARA says requests that need reconstruction can take longer than routine ones, because staff may need records from other agencies. Plan on weeks to months, and don't send a second request before 90 days, which can slow things down.
Common questions
Did the 1973 fire destroy all WWII records?
No. It destroyed about 80% of Army files for soldiers discharged 1912 to 1960. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard files were not affected.
How do I know if my veteran's file burned?
Check branch and discharge date against NARA's ranges, then request the record. Only NPRC can tell you for certain.
Can a burned record be rebuilt?
Often, yes. NPRC uses pay vouchers, morning reports, VA files and other "auxiliary records" to reconstruct the basic facts.
Were Air Force records affected?
Some. About 75% of Air Force files for those discharged September 1947 to January 1964 with surnames after "Hubbard, James E." were lost.
Does it cost extra if the file burned?
No extra fee for next of kin on non-archival files. Archival copy fees apply to files 62+ years old.
Sources
- NARA, The 1973 Fire: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973
- NARA, OMPF Archival Requests (reconstruction note): https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/military-personnel/ompf-archival-requests
- NARA, Access to Archival Databases (WWII Army enlistment; hospital admission cards): https://aad.archives.gov/
- NARA, Replace medals: https://www.archives.gov/veterans/replace-medals
More guides
- How to get a DD-214, free
- How to find which unit Grandpa was in
- How to find a ship's crew list
- How to request records for a veteran who has died
Veteran Records Finder is independent: not part of the VA, the National Archives or the Department of Defense.