From: Lise H (batlise@STIC.NET)
Date: Sun Apr 11 1999 - 16:52:10 PDT
I was looking at your site and I saw there was a place for WWII stories. My grandfather left East Prussia in order to not serve in Hitler's army. He was allowed to immigrate under very strict watch of the SS. When the time came for my grandparents and my mother and her older brother to board the ship, my grandmother had a Keiser gold piece soldered on a chain. My grandmother wore this necklace as a memory of when my grandfather served in WWI. He had carried it and one other with him thru the entire war in case he needed them. It was discovered when they boarded and he was detained by the SS and questioned. After hours of questioning, my grandfather said that if he was in American - he would allowed a phone call. They asked him who he would call that would help him. My grandfather was a personal friend of Walter Buch. He had a friendly type letter from him in his pocket inviting my grandparents to come up and see him while they were in East Prussia. The SS - at that point - let him go. They had held the boat, and sailed for Houston, Tx. The scary thing about this, is that my grandfather had onion skin paper latters to mail when he got to Houston to people who could help Jews get out of Germany before Hitler had taken full power. I know that the decendants/relatives of these people are still around because they are very well known in Houston. I am very proud of what my grandfather did. I shudder to think what would have happened if those letters had been discovered, and those people had not been allowed to leave. This is the outline of the story - it's not much longer - but I may be able to scan a few pics - one of the letter, one of Walter Buch, one of the gold piece and one of my grandfather. Is this what you are looking for on your story page? Lise Hogan (not my mother's father's name...) San Antonio, Texas