The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is responsible for preserving and providing access to important historical documents, including military personnel records. In 1973, a fire broke out at the Military Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, destroying over 80% of the files dating back to World War II. The destruction affected millions of veterans’ files and their families who were seeking information about their service history or benefits. While some records were salvaged from other locations, many documents were lost forever. Today, NARA continues its efforts to digitize remaining records and provide access to them online for the public to view.