Memorial

More information

Sgt Paul F. Simonson attended Painted Post High School and was employed at Corning Glass Works.

He enlisted in Rochester, New York on 21 August 1942.

Before he was reported missing, he had just returned to his company after being hospitalized in England for wounds received in action.

According to a Missing Report Sgt Simonson became missing in action when his platoon became surrounded by enemy forces during an attack on Mariadorf.

In October 1945, US Military Authorities were notified that remains of twelve to seventeen American soldiers had been found behind a rubbishdump of the "Maria" coal mine, about one mile southeast of Schaufenberg. The exact number of the deceased could not be determined since the remaining bones were scattered all over de area. This was probably caused by the esplosion of mines. The place of discovery was identical with an area, which was formely heavy mined near the "Maria" coal mine at Mariadorf.

By order of the Military Government the remains were put into seven caskets and placed in the morgue of Mariadorf. About five months later an American disinterring-team evacuated the bodies to the cemetery of Margraten in the Netherlands.

At that time of four American soldiers of the 117th Infantry Regiment, who were reported missing in action, it was assumed they were killed in this area. Attempts to assiciate these casualties with the remains, found in this area had proven negative. All such remains had been positively associated with other unrecovered casualties or have been declared unidentifiable due to lack of identifying media.

Sgt Simonson was declared officially dead one day and one year after he was reported missing in action.