everything about him. Those records included both the psychiatric and the electric shock treatments he had received as a result of his wartime trau- ma. Today his condition is called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and is much better under- stood than it was during World War II. Herman was plagued by headaches and difficult memories that took a long time to overcome. I think what Herman needed was me. It took Herman a little while to realize that I was the perfect lifetime companion for him. We had wonderful times together simply hanging out. There was nothing fancy about our dating; we just enjoyed each other’s company. Still, it was diffi- cult for Herman to make that big commitment. When he called me at my dress shop and my girl- friend, Ronnie Small, would answer, she would ask him, “When are you and Dorothy going to get married?” Herman would always get upset and say, “You better stop that, someone’s going to get hurt.” PEARL AND AL TIE THE KNOT While Herman and I were dating, Pearl and Al Nipon were also getting serious about marriage. Pearl and Al became engaged and set their wedding date for what would turn out to be six weeks before
Herman’s wallet photo of his Dora.
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