My Service Records Are Missing (or Burned in the 1973 Fire). Can I Still File?

You can file a VA disability claim even if your service records are missing or were destroyed in the 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire. VA must keep trying to get federal records, including service treatment records, until it's reasonably certain they don't exist or further requests would be futile, and it must tell you if it can't get them. Meanwhile, you can support the claim with other evidence: statements from you and people who served with you, post-service medical records, letters, and photos.

Don't wait for the records before you file. File the claim, or an Intent to File, and build the evidence alongside VA's search.

What VA has to do

VA's duty to assist covers your service records:

• Federal records. VA will make as many requests as necessary to get relevant records from a federal agency, including military records and service medical records. It stops only if it concludes the records don't exist or further efforts would be futile (38 CFR 3.159(c)(2)).
• Telling you when it can't. If VA can't get the records, it must tell you which records it couldn't obtain, what it did to try, and what it will do next, and that you are ultimately responsible for providing the evidence (38 CFR 3.159(e)).

That notice is a signal to act. When you get it, send whatever substitute evidence you have.

If your records burned in the 1973 fire

On July 12, 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed an estimated 16 to 18 million Official Military Personnel Files. According to the National Archives, the losses were:

• Army: about 80% of records for personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960.
• Air Force: about 75% of records for personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964, with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.

To rebuild what happened, VA looks to alternate sources such as morning reports, hospital admission cards, and Surgeon General's Office extracts. VA usually asks you to fill out two National Archives forms: NA Form 13055 (Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data) and NA Form 13075 (Questionnaire About Military Service). VA said in 2026 that it now sends both in a single packet at the start and won't ask again for information you've already given unless NPRC needs something new (VA News).

The same VA article says VA applies a sympathetic evidentiary standard when records are confirmed or reasonably believed lost in the fire, and can accept credible statements from you, fellow service members, or others who know what happened. VA also says veterans previously denied because their records couldn't be found should file or reopen a claim.

Getting your records yourself

• Your personnel and service records: request them from the National Archives online through eVetRecs or on Standard Form 180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records). The National Archives says it's free for veterans and next of kin when the discharge was less than 62 years ago (National Archives).
• Your VA claims file: if VA has already gathered records, they may be in your C-file. See how to request your C-file.
• Your discharge papers: see your DD-214.

What to send instead

When the official file is thin or gone, other evidence can fill in what happened:

• Your own statement of what happened, when, and where, on VA Form 21-4138 or 21-10210. See personal statements.
• Buddy statements from people who served with you or saw the injury or symptoms, on VA Form 21-10210. See buddy statements.
• Post-service medical records, especially early ones that mention the injury or symptom. VA can request private records if you give permission on VA Form 21-4142.
• Letters, photos, unit histories, awards, and orders you kept that show where you were and when.
• Records from other agencies, such as Social Security disability records, which VA treats as federal records it must try to get.

Where we fit

The record search itself belongs to VA and the National Archives, and we can't do it for you. What we can do is read the records you do have, such as post-service treatment notes, private records, letters, and statements, and show where the gaps are, so you know what to ask for or write down. A free VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization representative can also help request records and file. Find an accredited representative.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file a VA claim if my service records are missing?

You can file a claim without your service records. VA has to keep trying to get federal records, including service treatment records, until further efforts would be futile, and must tell you if it can't get them. Support the claim with statements, post-service medical records, and anything else that shows what happened.

Were my records burned in the 1973 fire?

The fire mainly affected Army personnel discharged from November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960, and Air Force personnel discharged from September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964 with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E. If you fall in those groups, your records may have been lost or damaged.

What are NA Forms 13055 and 13075?

They're National Archives forms used to rebuild lost records. NA Form 13055 asks for information about your medical treatment in service, and NA Form 13075 asks about your military service history. VA now sends both in one packet at the start of a fire-related claim.

What if VA says it can't find my records?

VA must tell you which records it couldn't get, what it did to try, and what it will do next. That's your cue to send other evidence, such as your own statement, buddy statements, and post-service medical records.

I was denied because my records were lost in the fire. Should I file again?

VA has said veterans previously denied because their records couldn't be located should file or reopen a claim. You can do that at VA.gov, call VA at 800-827-1000, or work with an accredited representative.

Do buddy statements count if my records are gone?

They can. VA says it can accept credible statements from you, fellow service members, or others with knowledge of the event when records were lost in the fire. Make them specific: who, what, when, and where.