June 17, 1999
Freedom of Information Act Request National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63132-5 1 00
Dear FOIA Manager
In reference to my original request dated March 17, 1999 (copy attached) and your response dated 5-21-99, 1 must respectfully submit that your response appears to be unacceptable. The reason for this re-submission by me is the use of a rubber stamp by your office, which states " No record located. If on file here on July 12, 1973, it may have been destroyed in a fire on that date". That indicates to me a search was not even done because the words "may have been destroyed" does not satisfy me that the records were destroyed, so any response from your office should indicate, yes they were or no they were not destroyed.
(Copy of your response attached)
This request in behalf of Robert J. Shirkey, I" It, Serial/Service no x-xxxxxx, is not for some highly classified document, but simply a telegram, twix or teletype dated on or about 17 July, 1947, from 8th Air Force, Fort Worth, Texas to Roswell Army Airfield, as a notification that Lt. Shirkey was being transferred from Roswell Army Air Field to Clark Field, Philippines.
I would assume (perhaps wrongly), that the way records are kept in the military with duplicate and triplicate copies, if in fact some records were destroyed by fire on July 12, 1973, records of individuals may have been kept at some other location and if so I would request information pertaining to that.
In your response to this request, I certainly would expect more of an answer than a 4 line rubber stamp, that is much too frequently used to pacify the person making the FOIA request. In the second page of your response (copy attached) you did have information on Mr. Shirkey that I did not furnish to you, so its obvious that some information is available and I again request a copy of the teletype originally requested.
Anticipating your more detailed response.
Sincerely,
Dennis G. Balthaser
cc: R.J. Shirkey Balthaser file
