FYI for all...... Dick Stewart ========================= ----- Original Message ----- From: "Press Service" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 5:47 PM Subject: Archives Not Destroying Military Personnel Files > By Jim Garamone > American Forces Press Service > > WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2004 - The National Archives and Records Administration > is not destroying any military records, officials here said. > > The agency is trying to counter an Internet rumor that advised veterans to > apply for their Official Military Personnel Files to save them from > destruction. > > There is no truth to this "urban legend" being perpetuated on the Web. "We > heard it about a month ago," said Susan Cooper, the archive's public affairs > officer. > > The records are stored at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. > Officials there said that there has been an uptick in the number of veterans > requesting their records. This takes time away from other legitimate requests - > such as veterans requesting separation documents or medical records. > > "We have a limited number of people to do the work and anything that ramps the > requests up this quickly is a big production issue with us," said John > Constance, NARA's director of congressional and public affairs. > > Archivists are digitizing some records, Cooper said. "We are going to digitize > some of them for reference and preservation," she said. "When records are > handled frequently, it causes some wear and tear. The idea is to preserve (the > records), not destroy them." Officials emphasize that the paper records remain > intact. > > NARA preserves and protects the files because they are permanently valuable > records that document the essential evidence of military service for veterans. > > Bottom line: If you receive this sort of e-mail, ignore it. Your military > records are safe. > > Related Sites: > National Archives and Records Administration [http://www.archives.gov] > National Personnel Records Center [http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records.h tml] >