The 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed a large portion of Army and Air Force personnel and medical records for veterans discharged before the mid-1960s through 1973. For decades, this has meant that veterans whose service treatment records or personnel files were lost sometimes had claims denied simply because there was no paper record to support them, even when the underlying disability was real and service-connected.
There is no indication that a brand-new standalone "fire records" benefit program has been created. What periodically gets attention, and what is worth knowing regardless of any specific news item, is that VA has long-standing obligations and procedures for handling these cases. Under the duty to assist (38 CFR 3.159), when service records are unavailable due to fire or other government error, VA is required to make reasonable efforts to locate alternate sources of evidence rather than simply denying the claim for lack of proof. Alternate sources can include morning reports, unit records, sick call logs, buddy statements, pay records, National Guard or state files, private treatment records, Social Security records, and a completed NA Form 13055 (Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data) to help NPRC search substitute sources. VA is also supposed to issue a formal finding of unavailability of records before relying on their absence to deny a claim.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →If a veteran was previously denied because records were missing and no real effort was made to develop alternate evidence, there are two main paths forward now. First, a Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995) can be filed with new and relevant evidence, such as buddy statements, private medical opinions, or newly located alternate records. Second, if the original denial appears to have violated VA's duty to assist at the time, a veteran or survivor could explore a clear and unmistakable error (CUE) claim under 38 CFR 3.105, though CUE has a high legal bar and generally requires showing the correct facts and law existed at the time but were misapplied.
Anyone in this situation should gather any surviving documentation, buddy statements, or medical evidence now, then file a Supplemental Claim or consult an accredited Veterans Service Officer to evaluate whether the original denial involved a duty-to-assist failure worth challenging.
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