The documents shown here were obtained from the National Personnel Records Center in January 2024.
Last update of this site 2024.MAR.11
The National Archives suffered losses in a fire 1973.JUL.12, and it’s not possible to attain complete records for service personnel from World War II. However, plenty of detail exists related to Abram Simon.
This is the cover page.
The item below is part of a payroll record, 1942.SEP.24. Abram Simon is listed as a corporal with the Quartermasters; he was elevated to rank of corporal 1942.JUL.02. He is the only one on this sheet not receiving the government laundry pay.
The next item is a medical report, 1942.JUL.05. Abram Simon went through surgery for a perforated peptic ulcer, using nitrous oxide and ether. This led to the medical discharge from service about seven weeks later.
This similar form, 1942.AUG.29, indicates the discharge from service. The details related to (a) are on the following page, shown below. The date of discharge is specified as 1942.NOV.13.
Below are more details regarding the discharge. Abram Simon was under care for the last three days of August, all of September, all of October, and 13 days into November. The official date of discharge was 1942.NOV.13. It is presumed that the special diet was for mild food.
(Comment from Gary Simon) I cannot say that Dad had long-term dietary consequences from this episode, so we must give thanks to the military medical people who took care of him. His only expressed dietary distress was about cucumbers. He was known to say “Cucumbers repeat on me.”