National Archives News

1973 National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) Fire

a color close-up photo of a stack of yellowed papers charred and crumbling along the edges

In 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO, destroyed millions of military personnel records. To mark the 50th anniversary, the National Archives created the most comprehensive online collection to date of records, photos from the scene, and academic and agency texts about the event and its aftermath.

This Special Topics page gathers these existing resources related to the fire and adds:

  • An extensive ongoing oral history project from the National Archives Historian
  • A story on National Archives News, "Remembering the 1973 Fire"
  • Images and videos from the St. Louis Preservation Lab of staff working on the affected records
  • A one-page fact sheet

“It's been 50 years since the NPRC fire, and the National Archives and the nation are still recovering from the ashes,” said Dr. Colleen Shogan, Archivist of the United States. “I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary lengths our staff in St. Louis go to every day to piece back together the records our veterans and their families need. It's a sobering reminder of both how important and how fragile our mission can be.”

Aqua rectangle with white letters that read overview, laid over a black and white aerial photo of 9700 Page Avenue

Aqua rectangle with white letters that read Remembering the 1973 Fire, laid over a black and white aerial photo of 9700 Page Avenue

Aqua rectangle with white letters that read oral histories, laid over a black and white aerial photo of 9700 Page Avenue

Aqua rectangle with white letters that read fact sheet, laid over a black and white aerial photo of 9700 Page Avenue

Aqua rectangle with white letters that read images, laid over a black and white aerial photo of 9700 Page Avenue

Aqua rectangle with white letters that read request veterans' records, laid over a black and white aerial photo of 9700 Page Avenue

Connect with the Records

Blog posts, articles, and presentations

A closeup photo of a stack of moldy papers singed at the edges.

A moldy, fire- and water-affected military personnel record damaged by the 1973 NPRC fire. St. Louis, MO, June 2023. National Archives photo by Sean Derrick.

Records in the National Archives Catalog

Partially or fully available online (including images of the building before the fire)

Not yet available online

 

Color photo of burned records that read in part dental identification. Charred flakes of paper are crumbled at the edges.

A burned and brittle stack of military personnel records damaged by the 1973 NPRC fire. St. Louis, MO, June 2023. NARA photo by Sean Derrick.

Additional Resources for Veterans' Records

External resources

Videos

Notes: Headline photo by National Archives Preservation Technician Sean Derrick, St. Louis, MO, June 2023; grid "Photograph Documenting Damage Following the 1973 Fire at the Military Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri" (NAID: 176251164)

Top