A good story -- and might be true.

However I doubt it: sounds like an Urban Legend.

First, the CW service records are all stored at the National Archives in
Washington.

Second, these have been microfilmed for preservation purposes, not to
relieve space problems. The originals remain stored. NARA feels correctly
that every time a patron uses the originals, they deteriorate, especially
those created on wood pulp paper after the 1870s.

However, many of the early twentieth century US Census records, specifically
the listings of individual names of people, were microfilmed and the
originals pulped. Unfortunately, the microfilming was done in the early days
of the process and some are all but unreadable, with no way to access the
now destroyed originals.

Take care,

Bob

JUDY AND BOB HUDDLESTON
10643 Sperry Street
Northglenn, CO  80234-3612
303.451.6376    [log in to unmask]
Fax: 303.452.3051


How about the story of the recycling employee in New England who bought a
train load of Civil War discharges, enlistment papers, etc that were sent to
be recycled by the U.S. government after they had been microfilmed.....Les