DESCRIPTION: Since 1923, Utah Code has provided that upon presentation, the county recorder shall record honorable discharges from the military, naval or marine service of the United States, and any orders, citations, and decorations of honor relating to a person while in the military service of the United States. County recorders' copies are considered evidence with the same effect as the original. (Utah Code, 17-21-14, 2000). Military discharges contain a wide range of personal information, as well as military service and discharge information. Documents in this series represent discharges from World War I to the Vietnam War and after.

The United States military used a wide variety of forms to document separation from various branches of service. While the forms are different, they contain similar information. They include personal information, such as name, date and place of birth, race, marital status, occupation, education, character notes, physical description, immunization records, notes on personal marks or identifications, and notes on general physical condition at the time of discharge. They contain military information, such as date and place of induction, military serial number, grade, rank, branch of service, evaluation of military skills, military decorations, citations and awards, military campaigns participated in, and wounds received in battle. Discharge data include such things as date, reason, and location of discharge, home address or other destination, travel allowance, pay and insurance data, and the signature of a discharging officer. Since the county recorder entered discharges as they were presented, a significant time could elapse between the actual date of discharge and the date recorded. This is particularly true of the few World War I discharges included in this series.