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 discharge records include extensive personal information, as well as military service and discharge information. The bulk of these records relate to men who were discharged in 1945 and 1946. A few relate to men discharged in 1918 or 1919.
Personal information on military discharges might include, 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. Military and discharge information might include 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, wounds received in battle, date, reason, and location of discharge, home address or other destination, travel allowance, pay and insurance data, and the signature of a discharging officer.
RESEARCH NOTE: Page numbering is not continuous. Army discharges, which were recorded Aug 1944 to Dec 1947, are in sequences of pages numbered 21-42, 171-450, 451A, 552-553, 452A, 554-590. Navy discharges, which were recorded Sep 1944-Dec 1947, are in sequences of pages numbered 471A-472A, 591-691. These records were filmed with the camera head upside down. In order to read the entries in chronological order, a researcher will need to go to the end of the film and read it backwards.