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73 NRPC FIRE DESTROYED MILLIONS OF RECORDS?

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Buck52

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  • HadIt.com Elder

How would a Veteran get his (copys) of his service records  or prove they were destroyed in the St Louis Fire in 73?

veteran ETS in Feb 72..but as no sign or sight of his STR'S  or any Service Records from different Duty Stations?

His C-file is Practically empty  just a few where he went to his VAMC for general health care.

no records can he find where he was station at during his military service

Aug 3 1969 to Feb 4 1972  Duty stations Fort Bliss Tx (Basic Training)

Aberdeen Maryland Aberdeen Proving Grounds  (AIT)  

517TH Heavy Equipment Transportation unit (no longer exist) AS OF 1988

Schwetzingen Germany 1970

HHC Saigon Support Command APO?  RVN (Vietnam) unit no longer exist) annulled in 1975 TMP

How Would Veteran find his service records?  when NRPC SAYS THEY CAN'T FIND THEM? (RECORDS NOT FOUND)

Its like he never went into the military  however he has his DD214  BUT NOT ALL DUTY STATIONS IS ON IT.

 

 

 

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Actually, it is possible his records could have been burned. If he got out his records COULD have been there when the fire happened. He was released prior to the fire. Would have depended on how quickly the records from his outfit were sent in. Three more ideas: can he get a buddy letter or two? Also, I would call the White House hot line and ask for help. It is a system's error they perpetuate. If there is such a place as the "Ft. Knox" dead file the rep told him, how do you access it? He had to have medical records coming into basic; they had to record vaccinations. HAS to be a record; an entry would have been entered into his 201 file, but there had to be a master list by the medical unit. Find out when he was in basic, see what medical company did their thing, get those records. The white House should be able to tell you and maybe help in retrieval. I'm just trowing it against the wall and seeing if anything sticks.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Well GB Thats a start  but as for as buddy letters I ask him about that  he don't recall having any certain buddys or their address names  ect,,,ect,,

This was one of the first things I ask him about..he just has not recollection of any one , he barley remembers  where he was stations at and the units he was with  dates are in question  but his DD 214 HAS HIS DUTY IN THE RVN AND THE TIME HE WAS ENLISTED TO THE TIME HE GOT OUT  THIS IS WHERE I FOUND THOSE IN- SERVICE DATES

THERE WAS NO CIB OR ANY AWARDS MENTION ON HIS 214  JUST HIS NAME SERVICE # DATES OF HIS SERVICE AND THAT HE WAS IN RVN WITH THE SAIGON SUPPORT COMMAND UNITS IN-COUNTRY  HE PROCESSED OUT AT FT ORD CALIF.

WHICH WAS CLOSED DOWN IN 1994

Edited by Buck52
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  • HadIt.com Elder

I Personally think that there have been several  military us installations closed down and VAMC's that have closed down during the 1980'&90's before the start of Desert Storm.

And a lot of Veterans records were lost or in storage that no one knows the locations to?

I was sent a few years ago a big brown envelope that contain several veterans ID SERVICE NUMBERS  AND THESE VETERANS WERE IN PRISON ,COURT DATES AND  HALFWAY HOUSES ADDRESSES AND IT HAD THERE NAME ADDRESS AND SS # ON  A LIST OF ABOUT 50 VETERANS, I SENT IT BACK TO THE PLACE THAT HAD SENT IT TO ME BY MISTAKE  AND SAID  NOT THE CORRECT ADDRESS THESE RECORDS NEED TO GO 

I THINK IT WAS A TRANSFER LIST OF INCARCERATED VETERANS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAITING TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A MILITARY POST?

HERE I AM SENDING THESE BACK.  NEVER HEARD A WORD BACK

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Buck since he has a (Incomplete) dd214 and it shows he was in Vietnam, I take it you are not trying to get him disability for an A.O. presumptive. Does he have another disability that occured or originated that is not presumptive, like a knee or back? What was his MOS ? Was he combat? If so, doesn't the VA now give the veteran the benefit of the doubt on non-verifiable conditions? I don't know how that cfr reads.

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  • HadIt.com Elder

i WOULD THINK HE WAS SOUND WHEN HE JOIN UP?

SOUND OF PRESUMPTION. but that can beat beat by CUE  the VA WILL NEED TO PROVE CUE TWICE TO DENY A CLAIM  THAT A VETERAN HAS INJURY HAPPEN WHILE IN MILITARY.  THAT HAS NO PROOF OF RECORDS...BUT THATS NOT EAST TO WIN.

He is wanting to file a claim on his Knees and Hearing and his feet

but since he never had these INJURYS OR DESEASES  before military...then I am wanting his medical records from military   he claims he never went to the Dr's while in for all this he is claiming  but he blames the military for all his medical problems

Not sure what his MOS was  he says he was a Mechanic  63 b 20 I think? No Combat Duty  but nothing to collaborate his story?  his MOS is not on the 214

I f I don't get any records or other proof  I'LL recommend him hire an experienced attorney  or VA Claims Agent  someone who has access to the VBMS

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  • Moderator

CCK law has a blog on what to do when records can not be found:  https://cck-law.com/blog/what-should-i-do-if-my-military-service-records-were-destroyed/

 

Quote

On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). The records affected:

Branch Personnel and Period Affected Estimated Loss
Army Personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960 80%
Air Force Personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964
(with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.)
75%

Unless he was discharged between 60 and 64, his records are not affected.  You said this Vet was discharged about 10 years after that.  I have even read a case where the VA claimed a Veteran discharged in 1984 had his records lost in the 73 fire.  

We can not motivate this Veteran to get his records and to jumpt through all the VA hoops (there are many!) to get his records and benefits.  He has to want it on his own.  Further, there is work only he can do..a VSO cant do it, nor can you.  He will have to sign and contact them himself.  

However, when VA does lose the records, (or they are destroyed), the VA has a "heightened" sense of duty.  Alex had his records incomplete or destroyed.  THe VA said he did not serve in Vietnam, so he could not have a GSW.  It took him years to prove it.  He had a scar from a Vn gunshot wound, but VA said he could have gotten that anywhere after service.  

The VA is required to accept "lay evidence" including that from the Veteran, provided that its consistent with the other facts.  The VA can not just call the Vet a liar "merely because" he has a vested interest in the outcome.  

Persistence in this should eventually win..buddy letters may suffice to establish an "in service event".  A doctor can link that in service event, documented by buddy letters, to a current diagnosis with a valid nexus for sc.  You can do a BVA search for "lost STR"s.  

 

 

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