Cold War Veterans Blog

How To Preserve your Valuable Military Documents

Your DD-214 is as important as your birth certificate. You should make
copies of both and preserve them in multiple locations.

The following recommendations are provided to ensure that any natural,
marital, familial or accidental disruption does not result in the total
loss of your precious military documents.

1. You should photocopy your Report of Separation, certificates,
promotion/medal orders and medical documents and distribute copies to
various members of your family who are living in different locations.

2. If you are a member of a veterans organization you should ensure that
your Post or Chapter Commander is properly placing copies of Reports of
Separation that are collected upon membership in a safe location.

3. If your military record file (201 Jacket) was fully or partially
destroyed in the 1973 fire at the National Records Center in St Louis MO
you should use form SF-180 (link below) to provide The Center with copies
of any military-issued documents in your possession to create a new,
official file on you.

4. Along with mailing a package of your military document copies to members
of your family, here are some other locations where you might consider
storing copies of your military documents:

> Ask your local library to establish a permanent public repository for
the military records of local veterans

> Your city or county Hall of Records (where birth and death certificates
are stored) usually includes copies of military documents

> The American War Library preserves DD-214's

> Your local veteran's or civic organization( s) preserve DD-214's

> Ask your local (House of) Representative is he or she will accept your
documents for storage in their common holding area

This document is on the web here: http://www.amervets .com/saved214. htm

Questions/Recommend ations/Feedback on this matter should be sent to:

Contact Person for this posting: Roger Simpson, PIO
Public Information Office: http://www.amervets .com/13105320634
The American War Library: http://www.amervets .com/
16907 Brighton Avenue
Gardena CA 90247-5420
Phone / Fax: 1-310-532-0634