On November 10, 1994, President Clinton issued an Executive order that declassified, in bulk, a selection of classified records within the National Archives. This unprecedented Order declassified approximately 45 million pages or 14% of the National Archives holdings of classified material, including classified holdings through the end of World War II, and an equal number dating into the 1970s.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of Amedca, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. The records in the National Archives of the United States referenced in the list accompanying this order are hereby declassified.
Sec. 2. The Archivist of the United States shall take such actions as are necessary to make such records available for public research no later than 30 days from the date of this Order, except to the extent that the head of an affected agency and the Archivist have determined that specific information within such records must be protected from disclosure pursuant to an authorized exemption to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, other than the exemption that pertains to national security information.
Sec. 3. Nothing contained in this order shall create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party against the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
[signed]
William J. Clinton
Records in the following record groups ("RG") in the National Archives of the United States shall be declassified. Page numbers are approximate. A complete list of the selected records is available from the Archivist of the United States.
1. All unreviewed World War II and earlier records, including:
A. RG 18, Army Air Forces 1,722,400 pp.
B. RG 65, Federal Bureau of Investigation 362,500 pp.
C. RG 127, United States Marine Corps 195,000 pp.
D. RG 216, Office of Censorship 112,500 pp.
E. RG 226, Office of Strategic Services 415,000 pp.
F. RG 60, United States Occupation Headquarters 4,422,500 pp.
G. RG 331, Allied Operational and Occupation 3,097,500 pp.
Headquarters, World War II (including 350 reels
of Allied Force Headquarters)
H. RG 332, United States Theaters of War, WW II 1,182,500 pp.
I. RG 338, Mediterranean Theater of Operations 9,500,000 pp.
and European Command
Subtotal for World War II and earlier 21 million pp.
II. Post-1945 Collections (Military and Civil)
A. RG 19, Bureau of Ships, Pre-1950 General 1,732,500 pp.
Correspondence (selected records)
B. RG 51, Bureau of the Budget, 52.12 Budget 142,500 pp.
Preparation Branch, 1952-1969
C. RG 72, Bureau of Aeronautics (Navy) 5,655,000 pp.
(selected records)
D. RG 166, Foreign Agricultural Service, 1,272,500 pp.
Narrative Reports, 1955-61
E. RG 313, Naval Operating Forces 407,500 pp.
(selected records)
F. RG 319, Office of the Chief of Military History 933,000 pp.
Manuscripts and Background Papers
(selected records)
G. RG 337, Headquarters, Army Ground Forces 1,269,700 pp.
(selected records)
H. RG 341, Headquarters, United States Air Force 4,870,000 pp.
(selected records)
I. RG 389, Office of the Provost Marshal General 448,000 pp.
(selected records)
J. RG 391, United States Army 240,000 pp.
Regular Army Mobil Units
K. RG 428, General Records of the 31,250 pp.
Department of the Navy (selected records)
L. RG 472, Army Vietnam Collection (selected records) 5,864,000 pp.
Subtotal for Other 22.9 million pp.
TOTAL 43.9 million pp.