They had nothing after their luggage fell off the back of the overloaded evacuation truck
They had nothing after their luggage fell off the back of the overloaded evacuation truck, but they managed to make it to Austria where Gabe's mom & dad scraped together a living for 6 years until they could get accepted as US immigrants.
Gabe's 2 older brothers were sent to Belgium for 2 years during this time to be
"fattened up" by Belgian families that wanted to help refugees. In this photo, left to right, are Gabe at age 6, his mom (who looks so thin & worn out), and Gabe's siblings Endre (Andy), Henriette and Martin. The ship was the USS General Harry Taylor. Gabe’s mom published a beautiful short story called “Flight Into Egypt” (and later a book) about their harrowing experiences during their escape from Hungary and the difficult years that followed. Their first home in the US was a cramped two-bedroom apartment shared with an aunt’s family in Port Jervis, NY.
One of Gabe’s memories is of the adults walking around the living room carrying umbrellas as rainwater poured through the ceiling! Gabe’s dad had been an optical engineer in Europe and was finally able to get a job in his field in Philadelphia, where the family settled down. And then came sister Bebe to complete the family of 5 beautiful children!
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