There shall be provided, and at all times maintained, in the office of the register of deeds of each county in North Carolina a special and permanent book, in which shall be recorded official discharges from the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps and other branches of the Armed Forces of the United States. The book shall be securely bound, and the pages of the book shall be printed in the form of discharge papers, with sufficient blank lines for the recording of such dates as may be contained in the discharge papers offered for registration. (1921, c. 198, s. 1; C.S., s. 3366(k); 1945, c. 659, s. 2; 2011-183, s. 34.)