Hi Civilwargal,
Well it must be true that many records were completely destroyed in the fire according to this article about the NPRC: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/gns_...records_071107/
Here's an excerpt:
McLendon is one of 15 technicians who try to restore “B files†— or burnt files — such as Andrino’s that were on the top floor of the drab green and gray records center here when the fire broke out shortly after midnight on July 12, 1973. The flames and the millions of gallons of water used to put them out destroyed 80 percent of the records for Army personnel discharged between Nov. 1, 1912, and Jan. 1, 1960, and 75 percent of Air Force discharge records from Sept. 25, 1947, to Jan. 1, 1964.
My letter was signed by an Archive Technician if that means anything. I sent off the $50 and hope for the best. Did you try to get your Dad's records from alternate sources? Apparently the government kept duplicate and triplicate copies of every veteran's complete personnel file. Copies went to various places when orders were issued, to payroll, insurance policies, medical facilities, and if the family applied for a Burial Flag the Veteran's Administration can locate his VETERAN'S CLAIM FILE.