I know this is my soap box but you really should specify that the birth index you’re using is the digital one and not the original handwritten one. I haven’t read past the first paragraph under #1 so you may have distinguished it later on (then my apologies). The reason for this distinction is that the original handwritten one would be closer to the truth whereas a digital one is more easy to tamper with. The original index will also GLARINGLY show changes in entries - a kid gets adopted after birth and they literally scribble out/white out/tape over his birth name entry and adds him at the end of the end of the new last name section for that year - HELLO! GLARING SPOTLIGHT! Or there’s a big scribble through a dad’s name then you can bet there’s a new daddy listed at the end (out of order) of some other alphabet section - RED FLAG! Mama’s last name changes or there’s notes in the margin, same thing - YO, LOOKIE HERE, BREAD CRUMBS!!! That’s probably why they don’t want you anywhere near the original index.
They claimed to have destroyed the original handwritten index. Said it was only used to find where the paper BC was at so they threw it all away when they computerized. Even though it is specifically specified as to be retained forever, just like the BC’s themselves.
Then again, they also claimed that they didn’t have a computerized index to Certificates of Hawaiian Birth (even though the “for office use” portion of their request form has that index as one of the indices to be checked) - and they did eventually come up with it after The Post & Email pressed them hard (IIRC).
The thing that comes through with every new detail is that the HDOH is crooked, crooked, crooked.