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The fire that broke out in 1973 at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri, remains a sobering reminder of the fragility of historical records and even today casts its effects on many veterans, including Navy personnel. The loss of millions of military records created significant challenges in retrieving documentation necessary for accessing benefits, verifying service, or applying for health care.
Until shortly after World War II, government records were held by individual federal agencies, according to the National Archives and Records Administration; each military branch stored its personnel records in a separate location. After WWII, facilities housing military records became overwhelmed with the volume of personnel records generated by the war, and the amount only grew due to the Korean War. It was when the Department of Defense decided to consolidate records from the Army, Air Force, and Navy in one place and settled on the St. Louis facility, completing the Military Personnel Records Center in 1955.
While the fire permanently destroyed some records, there are still several ways for Navy veterans to access or reconstruct their health and service information. They can get help with the needed documentation for health care, benefits, or personal history by leveraging resources such as:
- National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
- Veterans Affairs
- veteran advocacy groups
Two Types of Medical Files Located in Different Places
The Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) held at the NPRC are administrative files with information about the veteran's military service history - all personnel records and individual health records of veterans. Before the 1990s, once a service member retired, all personnel records and health documents were stored at the NPRC. In the 1990s, however, all the service branches ceased storing health records at the NPRC. While the Army and the Air Force stored their health records with an administrative record system in electronic format known as the Official Military Personnel File, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard stored their health records separately with the NPRC until the 1980s.
Veterans' health records comprise all health treatments received in military service, including induction and separation physical examinations. They hold all routine medical care information when the veteran was not admitted to a hospital, such as:
- doctor visits
- dental care
- lab tests
- mental health treatment
Induction medical records are collected during the initial physical examination when a person is being considered for enlistment documentation of their health status when they join the military.
Separation medical records summarize the medical evaluation results of the "Separation Health Assessment (SHA)" conducted when military members leave active duty. These capture their current health status and medical history needed in the DoD separation process and the VA disability compensation claims process.
Hospital inpatient or clinical records hold information about the hospitalization while serving active duty members. Typically, these records are not filed with the health records but are generally stored with the NPRC by the hospital or other medical facility where the veteran was admitted that created them. It makes things easier that today veterans can request clinical records online.
Medical Records From the VA Are Also Not Included in the NPRC
Given that at the beginning of the '90s, all the military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard - discontinued storing health records in the same place, only the personnel record portion remained at the NPRC. The Army stored most of its veterans' health records with the VA, and in the next six years, the other service branches followed suit, including the Navy.
This practice ceased in 2014 when paper copies of veterans' Service Treatment Records (STRs) were digitized. The online digitalized system storing these records is MHS GENESIS or TRICARE Online (TOL). It's important to note that veterans can access historical health records on TOL until 1 April 2025. After that, all new health records will be available on the MHS GENSIS Patient Portal.
Although health records are now digitalized, it's strongly advisable that former service members keep copies of their medical documentation and health care history information for their reference. Navy veterans can find health records at:
- the Department of VA, Records Management Center - if discharged, retired, or separated from 01/31/1994 to 12/31/2013
- online application - for veterans who left the Navy after 2013
Former service members who wish to file a claim for medical benefits with the VA don't have to request a copy of their military health record from the NPRC because the VA obtains the original health record from the NPRC after a claim is filed. Additionally, many health records were lent to the VA before the 1973 fire. An online solution is in place if a Navy veteran needs to request health records from the NPRC.
It's vital knowledge that around 16-18 million Army and Air Force records were destroyed in the fire. These were documents about the service history of former military personnel discharged from 1912-1964. However, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) can gather information from alternate record sources to reconstruct veterans' service records. For example, some service treatment records can be reconstructed by reviewing unit records, morning reports, and hospital admission records from the surgeon general's office. So, gathering all this information from other external agencies can take a while. This is why, in some instances, requests that need reconstruction efforts may take longer to complete.
We Offer Assistance for Veterans in Filing Claims for Compensation
Former military personnel injured by asbestos fibers while serving in the Navy between World War II and the 1980s are entitled to seek compensation from asbestos trust funds and the VA to cover the medical treatment costs and hospitalization if they have proof of asbestos exposure and were diagnosed with the following asbestos cancers:
- pharyngeal cancer
- colorectal cancer
- mesothelioma
- laryngeal cancer
- esophageal cancer
- urogenital cancer
- bronchial cancer
- lung cancer
- gastrointestinal cancer
If your medical files state any of the conditions listed above and you wish to make legal steps, an asbestos attorney can help you gather the necessary documentation and then represent you through the process, ensuring the success of your case. We can assist you in contacting experienced lawyers who are ready to take on your case.