Hi Listers, I've been following the thread about incorrect vital records with much interest. Apathy about their accuracy is a great dis-service to all. For the past 11 years I reviewed death certificates of service-connected disabled veterans to help families determine the possibility that the deceased's death might be service-connected. I found that im the majority of cases, the death certificate did not reflect the actual cause of death. Many simply state that the person died of Heart Failure or some other innocuous cause, when in fact, the cause of death was due to other reasons. Of course, everybody dies of "Heart Failure." One of the primary reasons for this is that the physician, coroner or deputy coroner who signs the death certificate is not the person's attending physician and does not have knowledge of the person's medical history, does not have access to current medical records, or does not take the time to do so. When the cause of death (or a contributing factor to the death) was likely to have been the result of a service-connected disease or injury I have had some success in having family contact the attending physician or the coroner to have the record corrected then filed application for service-connected death benefits for the family. It is much simpler to have the record corrected at the time of death than to have it done later. It is also simpler than obtaining copies of a deceased's medical records. What happens to medical records following death of a person? Often the remain in the possession of the attending physician until his retirement or death. Then, they are usually destroyed in order to avoid wrongful death lawsuits against physician's estates. If it is important to you that you know the actual cause, and the contributing factors, of death, find out immediately. As for correction of birth records: Sometimes following death of a veteran, family needed a birth certificate for various reasons. Let me assure you that an error on a birth certificate can deny passport and proof of American citizenship. If you have an error on yours, take the time to get it corrected now! In Pennsylvania, your state representative's office has the forms, will assist in preparing them, and can expedite their processing. Do it now!!! You never know when it will be extremely important to you or to your family. Dick McCracken Towanda, PA -- Plan Your Work... Work Your Plan...