I was talking with the legal member of the Asknod family and we discussed the problems with getting useful documents from St. Louis. Then we discussed the matter of getting anything, useful or otherwise from them. Ladies and Gentlemen, take your protein pill and put your helmet on. Next recline the barcalounger and attach your three-point harness.

The National Personnel Records Center did have a catastrophic fire in 1973-July 12th to be exact. What burned up were a lot of personnel and outpatient medical records of Vets from the 1952-1960 era. The operable phrase is “personnel and outpatient medical records“.

Did you know if you were ever an inpatient in a military hospital that the NPRC has those records. All of them-even for Vietnam era Vets. Yes, you read that right.

Now cinch down the belt again. The NPRC also has your movement orders for the most part. If you were in the Air Force, Navy or Marines, oddly enough your PCS (permanent change of station) records-to include TDY records- are there. Army records are a bit more spotty, but they do exist.

Now why is it you never get them? Could it be you were not anally specific? Did you somehow fail to ask “Please, sir. Would you look in the medical inpatient records for Udorn Thani RTAFB Thailand for the period 1970-1971? Also, while you’re banging around in the back room, could I pester you to look through Air Force microfiche records for all my military files. I didn’t get them the last time I asked. Or the three times before that. Since I know you have them, I’ll try to be as clear and specific as possible for what I am requesting. If you have any questions you can contact me at 1-555-555-1212. My address is 1234 Yellowbrick Road, Oz, Kansas 60609. Now that I know how to ask, be a peach and be quick about it.  Your loyal fan. A. Nod.”

When vA went back in 1989, they raided my file and got the outpatient stuff-period. They took the only copies too. They did not get any military records even though they should have. They damn sure didn’t pester Air America or their employer for my off-road stuff. When I went fishing specifically to see if there were any military records, a wealth of stuff came back but all of it was sanitized. No evidence of moonlighting for Consolidated Industrial Airlines. I didn’t expect to find that. I have told thousands of Vets that if they didn’t keep TDY orders that sent you hither and yon for 60 to 180 days, they were gone. I lied. NPRS has them somewhere in those microfiche files. Getting the NPRC to get off their duffs is the problem.

The job order is about 15-20 records a day if you want to get the bonus. 15 DD214’s is a piece of cake. You can bring a blanket to work and find a quiet corner of the warehouse to  sack out in after 10 AM and still have ample time in the afternoon to update your Facebook page. Chances are most of those fellows and gals are quite adroit at the online games. Some may even have blogs. The long and the short is few of us have ever gotten all that they have to offer on us. How many of you have written two or three times and keep getting partial pieces of the puzzle each time with no duplications? The reason is simple. It has never been completely associated with your main files. If you’re Korean War Vet filing, this is good news. Your stuff, for the most part , is still intact and you didn’t have a clue. Neither did they.

So keep this in mind when you write. List anything. Everything. Be specific about milrecs -especially the microfiched ones. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Go Fishing at the NPRC Carnival.