The 1973 NPRC Fire – When Flames Destroyed Military History

Week 42 – #52Ancestors

The Fire Begins

Shortly after midnight on July 12, 1973, disaster struck the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. At 12:16 a.m., the Olivette Fire Department received the first call reporting flames at the NPRC building at 9700 Page Boulevard.¹ Within minutes, firefighters arrived on scene—just four minutes and twenty seconds after the first alarm sounded—and rushed into the six-story building to confront what would become one of the most devastating losses to American military heritage.²

The fire had erupted on the sixth floor, where millions of military personnel files were stored in a vast open area. Despite the firefighters’ swift response and their ability to reach the burning floor, the intense heat and choking smoke forced them to withdraw at 3:15 a.m.⁴ The fire burned out of control for twenty-two hours, and it took two full days before firefighters could safely re-enter the building. The blaze was so intense that local residents in Overland, Missouri, were urged to stay indoors to avoid breathing the toxic smoke. During the ordeal, forty-two fire districts participated in battling what would become a four-and-a-half-day battle against an inferno that seemed determined to erase the documented service of millions of American veterans.⁵

The Staggering Loss

When investigators finally could assess the damage, the numbers were almost incomprehensible. The fire had destroyed approximately 16 to 18 million Official Military Personnel Files. No duplicate copies of these records had ever been maintained, nor had microfilm copies been produced. No indexes had been created prior to the fire. The fire destroyed 80 percent of Army personnel records for soldiers discharged between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960—including most records from World War II and the Korean War. It also destroyed 75 percent of Air Force records for airmen with surnames from “Hubbard” through “Z” who were discharged between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964.⁷

Rising from the Ashes

NPRC staff began recovery efforts even before the final flames were extinguished, . They removed vital records from the burning building for safekeeping, including the center’s operating records, a computer index for a major portion of holdings, and more than 100,000 reels of morning reports for the Army (1912-1959) and Air Force (1947-1959). These morning reports would prove especially important, as officials determined that the fire damage had been worst among Army and Air Force records for precisely this time period.¹⁰

Approximately 6.5 million burned and water-damaged records were recovered through extraordinary recovery efforts. These became known as “B-files” (Burned Files) and were stored in a separate temperature-controlled area. In April 1974, NPRC established an “R” registry file (Reconstructed File) for newly reconstructed records created from alternate sources.¹¹

The Long Road to Reconstruction

NPRC established a new branch dedicated to reconstructing records, drawing on sources that included Veterans Administration claims files, individual state records, Multiple Name Pay Vouchers from the Adjutant General’s Office, Selective Service System registration records, pay records from the Government Accounting Office, medical records from military hospitals, entrance and separation x-rays, and organizational records. Staff spent thousands of hours making these sources usable through transfer, screening projects, and securing access to VA computer records.¹²

Today, fifty years after the fire, the work continues. The National Archives’ Preservation and Conservation Branch in St. Louis triages more than 30,000 fire-affected records annually. High-priority requests—such as those for health care or funeral benefits—are completed in less than three days on average. A team of preservation specialists wearing gloves to handle fragile materials uses special equipment and techniques to clean documents of debris and mold, separate pages, and extract whatever information survives.¹³

Which Records Were Lost—And Which Survived?

Genealogists need to know which military records the 1973 fire destroyed to determine whether their ancestors’ service documentation survived. The fire specifically destroyed records for:

Army personnel discharged between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960—affecting approximately 80 percent of these records. This means most World War I, World War II, and Korean War Army veterans’ files were damaged or destroyed.¹⁴

Air Force personnel with surnames from “Hubbard” through “Z” who were discharged between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964—affecting approximately 75 percent of these records.¹⁵

Critically, the fire did not affect records for:

• Navy personnel
• Marine Corps personnel
• Coast Guard personnel
• Air Force personnel with surnames A through “Hubbard”
• Army and Air Force personnel discharged after 1964
• Personnel who were retirees or Reservists still living on July 12, 1973

This means Vietnam War and later service records generally survived intact. Korean War records faced significant losses for Army personnel but had better survival rates for other branches. World War II records suffered the most devastating losses, particularly for Army personnel.¹⁶

The Impact on Family History Research

For families researching military ancestors, the fire’s impact depends heavily on which branch of service and when the veteran left the military. My own family illustrates this reality perfectly.

George Dubinsky

George Dubinsky (my maternal grandfather) had a lengthy and complex military career with two separate periods of service in the U.S. Army. He first enlisted on October 30, 1934, and served until November 25, 1936, stationed in the Panama Canal Zone. He enlisted again on February 15, 1939, serving through August 11, 1945. During his second enlistment, he served twenty-nine months in the Pacific Theater before the Army transferred him to Percy Jones Hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan. There, he worked with wounded and convalescing soldiers during the final months of the war (see “The Healing Army: My Grandfather’s Service At America’s Largest WWII Hospital“).

His records fall squarely within the period most affected by the fire—Army personnel discharged between 1912 and 1960. However, through a third-party retrieval service, I was able to obtain a “mini OMPF reconstruction” consisting of 191 pages of recovered and reconstructed documents. This substantial collection will require careful transcription work. This shows that alternate sources and recovered materials can reveal remarkable detail about a veteran’s service, even after the fire destroyed the original files. The reconstruction process will help me piece together exactly where he served and what his duties entailed throughout both enlistment periods.

David Sten

David Sten (my paternal grandfather) enlisted on January 9, 1941, and served until the Army honorably discharged him on December 4, 1945. Like George, I obtained a mini OMPF reconstruction for David. This has provided substantial detail about his service despite the fire. The Army stationed him with the 114th Infantry Regiment, HQ Company, first at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and later in Leesville, Louisiana in February 1944. He then moved to Fort Lewis, Washington. I’m still working to determine exactly when he transferred from the 114th Infantry to the 291st Infantry—a crucial piece of information for understanding where he saw combat. He advanced from Private to Staff Sergeant and eventually received his discharge as part of Company D, 291st Infantry.

The reconstructed records show he fought in battles in France and possibly Germany and Austria, earning several medals including the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Medal. His records also fall within the fire’s destructive reach. I’m still working through all the documentation to piece together exactly where David served throughout the war and when he transferred between units. These reconstructed records are helping me understand not just his military journey, but also how that journey shaped my family’s story. (For more about David Sten – “In the News: David Sten’s American Life Through Newspaper Headlines“).

Paul Marcisak

Paul Marcisak enlisted in the Marines on August 22, 1941. By September, he was at boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Through letters he wrote home, I’ve been able to trace his movements through several unit changes. By June 1942, he was in San Francisco with Marine Corps Unit 900. In September 1942, his letters place him in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands—one of the fiercest campaigns in the Pacific Theater. His letters provide glimpses of the battles he fought in throughout his Pacific service.

As a Marine Corps veteran, Paul’s records should have survived the fire intact, since the fire primarily affected Army and Air Force personnel files. I’ve ordered his Official Military Personnel File, hoping to discover much more about his service, including details he may not have shared in his letters home. The combination of his personal correspondence and his official military records should paint a remarkably complete picture of his wartime experience.

Stephen Marcisak

Stephen (Steve) Marcisak served in the Army, and his story is perhaps the most complex and compelling of my WWII ancestors. I have a wealth of family letters and documents but very little official military documentation—I couldn’t find anything about him on Fold3, so I’ve placed an order for a mini OMPF reconstruction hoping to fill in the gaps.

I know the Army stationed Steve in Hawaii in 1940 because I found him on the U.S. Census there, which means he lived through the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. By September 1942, he attended Reserve Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning with the 28th Company Third Student Training Regiment. By October 1943, he deployed overseas. From Paul Marcisak’s letters (Steve’s brother), I know Steve served in North Africa. A letter from early December 1943 mentions that Steve visited Bizerte (Tunisia), Casablanca (Morocco), and Oran (Algeria). Just two weeks later, he was in Italy.

Then came the telegram that no parents ever want to receive. In March 1944, the Army reported Steve missing in action since February 18, 1944.

IIn May 1944, the Army confirmed him as a Prisoner of War. Fortunately, Steve sent many letters home during his captivity, and remarkably, he kept journals documenting his POW experience.

Steve survived his imprisonment and continued his Army career for several years after the war. As an Army veteran discharged in the late 1940s, his records fall within the fire-affected period, making the mini OMPF reconstruction crucial for documenting his service officially.

To read more about Paul and Steve, see “Remembering the Forgotten Heroes: Paul and Stephen Marcisak“.

Clifford Max

For my son’s paternal grandfather, Clifford Max, the situation differs from my WWII ancestors. Clifford served in both the Korean War and Vietnam War as a helicopter pilot. Surprisingly, even though I knew him for a few years before he passed, I know very little about his actual military service—except that he flew helicopters and absolutely loved Korean food! Every time we’d visit, we’d go to his favorite Korean restaurant, a lasting connection to his time in Korea.

Korean War records (approximately 1950-1953) face the same challenges as World War II Army records if he served in the Army during that period, with significant losses from the fire. However, Vietnam War service records (1964-1975) generally survived, as they post-date the fire-affected period.¹⁸ I’ve ordered both his official records from NARA and a mini OMPF reconstruction, hoping to learn much more about where he served, what units he was with, and the missions he flew. The reconstruction process may help fill in gaps for his Korean War service, while his Vietnam records should be more complete.

Finding What’s Left

When military records were destroyed, genealogists aren’t completely without options. The National Archives developed extensive reconstruction methods using alternate sources:

Veterans Administration claims files often contain detailed service information, as veterans filed for benefits after their service.

State records sometimes duplicated federal documentation, particularly discharge papers that veterans were encouraged to file at their local courthouse starting in World War II.

Unit records and morning reports survived the fire for the Army (1912-1959) and Air Force (1947-1959). These 100,000 reels of microfilm documents provide daily unit activities and can help establish when and where someone served.

Selective Service registration records exist for all men registered for the draft.

Military hospital records sometimes preserve information about service-related injuries and treatments.

Individual state records, pay vouchers, and organizational records can help piece together basic service information even when the primary personnel file is gone.¹⁹

A Lasting Legacy

The 1973 NPRC fire fundamentally changed how the National Archives builds its facilities and maintains its holdings. The rehabilitated building received firewalls to divide large open storage areas, along with smoke detection and sprinkler systems. The entire sixth floor was removed due to extensive damage, resulting in the current five-story structure. Signs of the fire can still be seen today, serving as a reminder of what was lost and the importance of protecting irreplaceable records.²⁰

For genealogists and family historians, the fire represents one of the most significant record losses in American history. Countless family stories remain incomplete because the military service records that would have documented ancestors’ experiences in two world wars and other conflicts were destroyed. Yet the National Archives’ ongoing reconstruction efforts offer hope. Through persistence, creativity, and the use of alternate sources, many veterans’ basic service information can still be documented. This ensures that their sacrifice is not forgotten even when the original records are gone.

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Share Your Story

Have you been researching an ancestor whose military records were affected by the 1973 fire? I’d love to hear from you!

Have you successfully obtained records through NARA or a mini OMPF reconstruction? What was your experience like? How complete were the reconstructed records?

Have you been unable to get official records but pieced together your ancestor’s service through alternate sources? What sources proved most valuable—letters home, unit histories, newspaper articles, VA claims files, state courthouse records?

Please share your experiences in the comments or reach out directly. Our collective knowledge helps all of us navigate the challenges of researching fire-affected military records, and your story might provide the breakthrough another researcher needs.

Other sources for information about the fire and how to obtain records:

The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center

The NPRC records fire of 1973

What the 1973 NPRC Fire Means to Your Family’s Military History

Reconstruct military records destroyed in NPRC fire

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1. “National Personnel Records Center fire,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Personnel_Records_Center_fire : accessed 21 October 2025). ↩︎
2. “The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center,” National Archives and Records Administration (https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/fire-1973 : accessed 21 October 2025). ↩︎
3. National Archives photograph, July 12, 1973. Public domain. National Personnel Records Center fire, St. Louis, Missouri. Source: National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/fire-1973.html : accessed 26 October 2025). ↩︎
4. “The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center,” National Archives. ↩︎
5. Ibid. ↩︎
6. Fire crews use aerial trucks to shoot water through the windows of the sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center building, July 12, 1973. National Archives photograph, Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, RG 64. Public domain. Source: National Archives, Prologue Magazine (https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2013/spring/nprc-burnt-in-memory : accessed 26 October 2025). ↩︎
7. “Reconstruct military records destroyed in NPRC fire,” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/reconstruct-records/ : accessed 21 October 2025); “The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center,” National Archives. ↩︎
8. “Collapsed shelving and the damaged roof of Building 100,” digital image, U.S. National Archives, Flickr, album “Remembering the 1973 NPRC Fire” (https://www.flickr.com/photos/archivesnews/albums/72177720309671446/ : accessed 26 October 2025); from “1973 National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) Fire,” National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/2023-nprc-fire-anniversary). ↩︎
9. “Burned records sliding off shelves onto the floor, July 13, 1973,” digital image, U.S. National Archives, Flickr, album “Remembering the 1973 NPRC Fire” (https://www.flickr.com/photos/archivesnews/albums/72177720309671446/ : accessed 26 October 2025); from “1973 National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) Fire,” National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/2023-nprc-fire-anniversary). ↩︎
10. “The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center,” National Archives. ↩︎
11. Ibid. ↩︎
12. Ibid. ↩︎
13. Victoria Macchi, “Remembering the 1973 NPRC Fire,” National Archives News (https://www.archives.gov/news/articles/2023-nprc-fire-anniversary : 10 July 2023), accessed 21 October 2025. ↩︎
14. “Reconstruct military records destroyed in NPRC fire,” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. ↩︎
15. Ibid. ↩︎
16. “The NPRC records fire of 1973,” U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VAntage Point (https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/22133/the-nprc-records-fire-of-1973/ : 12 August 2015), accessed 26 October 2025. ↩︎
17. Western Union telegram regarding Stephen Marcisak, missing in action, 8 March 1944; privately held by Kirsten M. Max, 2025. ↩︎
18. “United States Vietnam War 1964 to 1972,” FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Vietnam_War_1964_to_1972 : accessed 26 October 2025).
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19. “The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center,” National Archives. ↩︎
20. Ibid. ↩︎