The Big Story

National Personnel Records Center Recovered Documents

  • A portion of a salvaged document damaged during a fire.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    01
    B files, or “burn” files, are records that were salvaged from the 1973 fire and have not yet undergone complete treatment. S files, or “salvaged,” are the end result of a B file having undergone complete preservation treatment.
  • Fire damaged document with brown edges on the right side
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    02
  • Remains of an envelope with fire damage and mold.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    03
  • Fire damaged document with brittle charred edges on the right side.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    04
  • Two stacks of crinkled firedamaged paper.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    05
  • Salvaged document with minimal fire damage.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    06
  • Image scan of a salvaged document and envelope with fire damage.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    07
  • A firedamaged document mostly intact but with brittle charred edges on the right side.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    08
  • Image scan of a document with minimal fire damage.
    Photograph: Josh Valcarcel
    09
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