1939 aero 40-3785p

[Micawber]

I don't like it, either -- granted, I realize doing research can be challenging. I once sought information on a WWII vet. only to learn that a fire in 1972 at the National Archives location in St. Louis, Mo., (hope I recall the year correctly) destroyed many records and information has been forever lost. So with dim history from federal sources ... that leads to the web site research route.

Same for auctioneers, I suppose. I've seen some who describe listings via cutting and pasting an entire squadron history from other sites, but then go scant on details of what they're selling. I've never been a fan of that technique.

Then again, I've seen some listings prepared by auctioneers who've painstakingly attempted to validate a jacket's authenticity via a vet's history only to post inaccurate information because details were sourced from other web sites -- that were also wrong.

Provenance can be tricky; that's why I like VLJ.

This is my .02 (a response) to the June 5 posts on page 4 by Jorgeenriequeaguilera and Chandler. I thought it would quote those posts ... guess I was wrong.

​

Aye, it's frustrating to discover that a lot of service records were lost in that fire. Sometimes you are lucky and the records of this or that particular individual survived but it's often pot luck.

 

[B-Man2]

Aye, it's frustrating to discover that a lot of service records were lost in that fire. Sometimes you are lucky and the records of this or that particular individual survived but it's often pot luck.

My dad learned that his records were destroyed in that fire when he was trying to apply to have his service disability payments increased. The government turned it into a catch 22 deal where he couldn't get his service related disability payments increased ( he was shot and wounded in combat) without his service records showing he was shot and wounded in combat and of course he couldn’t show them because they were destroyed in the fire and didn’t exist anymore.

 

[mulceber]

My dad learned that his records were destroyed in that fire when he was trying to apply to have his service disability payments increased. The government turned it into a catch 22 deal where he couldn't get his service related disability payments increased ( he was shot and wounded in combat) without his service records showing he was shot and wounded in combat and of course he couldn’t show them because they were destroyed in the fire and didn’t exist anymore.

A similar thing happened with my maternal great-grandfather, who got injured in WWI. Strange that this seems to happen so often, but I suppose buildings full of paper are always going to be tinderboxes.

 

[A2B3G1]

I'm

At one point I saw a separation record (completed form) issued to a vet. It said that particular form would not be replaced if lost or destroyed. But ... there was more than one completed form. I never quite understood the system.

 

[Silver Surfer]

gubmint work