Rabun County Superior Clerk of Court recently preserved its Military Discharge Records, also known as DD214’s, in order to protect them from damage.
These are documents issued upon the discharge of members of the armed services from military service.
Holly Henry-Perry, Rabun County Superior Court Clerk, teamed up with Kofile, Inc. to preserve, restore and image the Military Discharge record books for Rabun County.
Henry-Perry said it was important to preserve the documents because it is important information for military members and their family members, particularly for those individuals seeking benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs as well as other organizations.
Brad Crane, account executive with Kofile, Inc. for the Southeast Region of Georgia, said the documents are now housed in a Kofile Disaster Safe County Binder (DSB).
“The DSB offers the highest level of disaster protection while recognizing the need for functionality and access,” Crane said.
The binders provide protection from fire, water, mold, humidity, pollutants, UV light, rodents and impact.
These protections are especially important, because in 1973 there was a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri that destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), some of which were the only copy on record because no duplicate copies were ever maintained nor were microfilm copies produced.
“The digital images have a backup with the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority MyVault and can be reproduced at any time,” said Crane about the newly preserved documents in Rabun County.
Crane said it took about four months to complete the preservation process and record conservators on-staff worked under 24/7 surveillance to carefully and respectfully complete the process.
Henry-Perry said her office is “excited” to have the documents preserved and the cover of the books read, “Preservation of this historical record is dedicated to the veterans of Rabun County” and authorized by Henry-Perry.
Documents that were preserved even date back to the 1940s. Henry-Perry said another reason it’s important to preserve these documents is because for some of them, only one copy exists.
Conservation services performed on the volumes include leaves surface cleaned with open cell vulcanized rubber sponge; damaging tapes removed with alcohol and acetone; non-aqueous deacidification of leaves with magnesium oxide; tears and losses repaired with archival heat-set tissue; encapsulation of leaves in 2 mil polyester film sleeves; and encapsulated text housed in a slide release post binding.
Henry-Perry said military veterans are encouraged to file their discharge documents at the Rabun County Superior Clerk of Court Office free of charge. She said that even if the documents have been recorded in another county, anyone moving there can file the paperwork in Rabun County as well.
Military Discharge DD214’s are no charge to file in any Georgia Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Recording the documents assures that a copy will be available for your family in the event the original is lost or destroyed.
The Military Discharge Records, DD214’s, files are not open to the general public due to the sensitive and personal information they contain. However, family members of veterans who need access to the documents for research and other needs can go to the Rabun County Clerk of Court Office and sign an affidavit stating they have reason to access a particular document.