Morrell Atkins
ASN:14099557
August 25, 1943, - Cpl Morrell Atkins, 14099557, Sk Qrs to abs sk 53rd Sta Hosp LD at 1400.
- Cpl Morrell Atkins, 14099557, Hosp to dy Sept 26th, 1943 (abs sk).
- Cpl Morrell Atkins, 1409957 and Cpl Ernest P. Raulerson, 14081153 Fr ab sk Hosp to ab sk 118th Sta Hosp the 22nd. October 22, 1943.
B-Battery 319th Field Artillery, 82nd Division, Camp Claiborne, May 1942
Corporal Morrell Atkins - Camp Claiborne - 1942
Corporal Morrell Atkins - Camp Claiborne - 1942
Photos courtesy of the William Kick family
Thayer General Hospital
Nashville 5, Tennessee
PROGRESS NOTES
Name: Atkins, Morrell (NMI)
ASN – 14099557
CLINICAL ABSTRACT
Clinical History: Patient is a 31 year old Cpl. in the Airborne Field Artillery with 2-4/12 years service. Patient states that he has always been rather nervous in civilian life but not excessively so. He had no nervous breakdowns and never saw a physician because of his condition. During basic training, he had some difficulty in that glider basic training is much more difficult than ordinary training, but he states that he does not believe he had any more difficulty that his comrades. After going overseas, he was no more nervous than anyone else. He was in Africa, Sicily, and in severe battle combat in Italy. In September 1943 a shell exploded near him and he was knocked unconscious for about 1 hour. Following this, he was quite hazy for a 24 hour period and remembers little of what happened during that period. Memory of the events leading up to the incident is quite clear. He states that following the incident he was quite hazy for a long period of time. However, he volunteered to go back into combat and was allowed to do so. But he states that during this period he felt as though he was acting on instinct. Following this incident, his nervousness became quite severe. He developed anorexia, tremor, and aches and pains all over his body. Several times after that he was in severe shelling but was never unconscious again. The patient has had severe battle dreams. He was hospitalized for the first time on 18 Oct. 1943. While in the hospital, he was quite sensitive to noise. He was evacuated from Italy to Africa, and then to England and the zone of interior. On admission to the hospital here, he had symptoms of nervousness, severe headaches, and marked depression.
Physical Examination: Physical examination is negative except for pain on extension of the right wrist.
Mental Examination: Patient is neat, clean, cooperative, but thought processes are slow. He is well oriented and memory is quite good for recent and remote events. Mood is somewhat depressed at present. Patient has a dejected facial expression. He seems to be somewhat tense but tremor is minimal.
Laboratory Examination: All lab. data is negative.
X-Ray Examination: X-Ray examination of the right wrist revealed an old fracture of the carpal scaphoid with no evidence of bony union.
Course in Hospital: During his stay on the NP Ward, the patient’s depression became somewhat elevated. He was sent to occupational therapy and while there he was very cooperative and according to the instructor did excellent work and seemed to enjoy it. He was cheerful while there, made jokes, and seemed to be a perfectly normal person while working in the occupational therapy room. On 12 June 1944, a wrist brace was ordered which gives the patient some relief from the pain in his wrist. On 17 June 1944, he was transferred to the Dental Ward for removal of several teeth because of follicular cysts. On 6 July 1944, he was transferred back to the NP Service.