Embedded Files
Dad's Memoirs:
Dad's Memoirs:
The next day [December 20, 1944?] I was supposed to present myself to a Board of Officers for selection for a Battlefield Commission for which I had been recommend some weeks earlier. Julius insisted on driving me there - about 29-30 miles away. The roads were jammed with vehicles. We got stuck in a munitions convoy, and I was sure that this would be my last birthday. One bomb and the whole thing would have been blown to kingdom come. Luckily it was a very cloudy day, and the German Luftwaffe stayed home. I did meet the Board, was approved, but with the vicissitudes of the fierce fighting that followed, it took me three more months to be promoted. The mail was not so good, we moved about a lot and finally I could not find a field grade officer in the Adjutant General's Corps to discharge me from the Army as an enlisted man and commission me as officer.
Memorandum of November 30, 1944.
30 November 1944
MEMORANDUM TO OFFICER IN CHARGE
Subject: Henry Kurt SILBERMAN S/Sgt, ASN 32008856 Mil Gov Det I1032
Subject is an applicant for a commission and the following investigation was made at the request of CO, 205th CIC Detachment, Hq V Corps. Subject is a member of Mil Gov Det I1032, detached from 2nd Regt ECAD and attached to hq 5th AD thru V Corps.
The following information regarding Subject was obtained.
Personal Data:
Birth: 19 Dec 1914, in Germany
Naturalized: 5 Nov 1942 Naturalization Cert 45456426
Father: Physician in New York
Wife: Physician at Rockland State Hospital, New York
Residences:
Present civilian address: 3900 Greystone Ave, Apt 549-9, Bronx, Ny. Resided in Germany until he was l8 years of age.
Education:
Medical student, University of Bologna, Rome. Had to leave because of Jewish purge, Had year to complete his course for a degree; was a medical research assistant and surgical and X-ray technician.
Subject can speak, read, and write German, Italian, French and Spanish. Was an instructor in Italian at ASTP.
Military History: Entered the Army 25 Feb 1941; instructor in Italian at ASTP; sanitary technician of Mil Gov Detachment.
Elvin H. Spitler, Capt, Inf, 0305860, GC of Mil Gov Det 11032; Harold Laikind, 1st Lt, CMP, O1797335; and Louis J. Pantages, 2nd Lt, CWS officers of the Mil Gov Detachment were interviewed regarding Subject. The three officers spoke with favor regarding Subject's qualifications. They advised that Subject has worked with them since August 1944; that he has demonstrated his fitness for appointment by outstanding performance of his duties; that he is temperamentally fit to supervise and direct activities of other men; that he is of unquestionable character; is of the highest integrity and that his loyalty to the U.S. is above reproach. The three officer stated that they would recommend Subject for consideration for appointment as an officer in the Army of the United States.
Files of the 7-2 and CI offices of the 5th Armd Div were checked with negative results.
Thomas A Ryan, Jr.
1st Lt, Inf Commanding
DETACHMENT I10-G2
CO. G 2nd ECA REG'T
APO 658 US ARMY
10 February 1945
SUBJECT: S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman, ASN 32008856, Det. I10-G2
TO i Commanding Officer, ECAD, APO 658 US Army, Att. G-1 (Thru Chmanels)
1. It is expected that as soon as the V Corps, First Amry, quota Is announced for commissions in the Medical Administrative Corps, S-Sgt. Henry K. Silberman, ASN 320o8856, wlll be commissioned a Second Lieutenant. On the basis of his record and the duties he has performed in this Detachment it is strongly recommended that he continue to serve with SCAD in a oapacity simiilar to his with this Detachmemt.
2. S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman has served with this Detachment since 15 September 1944. As a Sanitary Technician he has handled all problems relating to Public Health, that this Detaohment has encountered, with the greatest effciency. These problems have been frequent and of considerable importance in the operation of this Detachment. At Waimes, Belgium, it is on record (see letter of commendation from Lt. Col. Hickes, MC, CO 180th Med. Bn, previously forwarded to this Headquarters) that this Detachment took effective measures to prevent a threatened outbreak of a diphtheria epidemic. In this operation S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman acted in close cooperation with the Medical Corps. and the officers of that Corps were able to entrust to him many duties which they would have otherwise had to handle themselves at the cost of their other military duties. S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman also worked in close cooperation with the Belgian Red Cross representative, Dr. Toussant, who was subsequently assigned to the Waimes area, where he faced a schedule so rigorous that S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman's assistance was invaluable. On numerous other occasions S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman has rendered First Aid and Treatment to civilian and military personnel when other medical services were unavailable. At the present time this Detachment has been called upon to set up an emergency Refugee Center at Berg, Belgium. S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman is in charge of the medical care and treatment of the inhabitants of this centre. These persons would otherwise be without any medical attention.
3. ln addition to his duties as a Sanitary Technician S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman has also performed invaluable service as an interpreter of German, French and Italian. He has wide personal knowledge of the area of activity of this Detachment which likewise has proven invaluable.
4. It is anticipated that the duties this Detachment will be called upon to undertake and the areas in which it will operate will contnue to find the services of S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman not only of inestimable value to the efficiency of this Detachment's operations, but will also continue to be a personnel placement of benefit to the Service.
5. In view of the foregoing it is recommended that in the event S/Sgt. Henry K. Silberman. receives a commission as a Second Lieutenant he be continud as a member of this Detachment. This will not be in conflict with any T/O inasmuch as under the T/Os for "I" type detachments this Detachment is lacking one officer and two enlisted men at the present time.
ELVIN H. SPITLER
Capt. Inf.
Mil. Gov. O.
Commanding
Notes: According to Wikipedia article on battlefield promotions, "approximately 25,500 men were awarded battlefield commissions worldwide" during World War II. The Adjutant General's Corps is basically the Army's HR department, etc., and a "field grade officer" would have to been someone higher than the company commander, thus a Major or higher.
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