Dear Dena and Dan :
A few weeks before my 98th birthday- with so much time on my hands-I feel like I should make you aware of
my feelings at this stage of my life. First, let me state that I feel so blessed to have had you both at my side
for such a uncommonly long period and I am so grateful to you. It is always a highpoint in my long life to have you
near me and to know that you care.
Truthfully I can state that my long time on this Earth has been one of joy and little upset, having been uprooted
and brought to a strange country at age 20 is one of the many miracles bestowed upon me. That I escaped the
holocaust unscathed and was able to save my dear sister and parents from a dire fate is miraculous. Having
survived as a soldier in a threatening foreign country counts as another blessing. Finding a wonderful life companion
and together watching our so dear daughter grow up counts foremost in my life story.
But, to begin at the beginning : Born to a wealthy father and a benign and understanding mother, my youth was an
unblemished period,despite a life threatening bout with appendicitis at about 10 years of age, I miraculously
survived and to this day have been blessed with good health. Even at this late date my eyesight improved.
From age 11 on, I had to wear glasses and now,bless the Lord, I no longer need them to get through the day.
I could read without them ,but find it easier to put them to use when I read the newspaper or a book.
Schooling was no serious handicap,I was an easy learner. Had good friends growing up,especially
the only son of a British-born mother at whose home I learned to play bridge and the command of the
English language which proved such a big plus later on.I could have gone to University,my grades were
adequate,but I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps.He was a fine business man with great ideas
and,had he had the right engineers, I would have been the son of a millionaire motorcycle manufacturer.
But that was not to be and I had to make my own way in the world and am blessed to state that I did
so successfully.Of course, fate played another beneficial role,when on my visit to the Unites States,
Hitler came to power and I could not return home and had a safe place to stay.

Lady Luck then smiled again.My cousin in Germany supplied me with the name of a schoolfriend of his
whose uncle in new York owned two factories and ,after being recommended to him, he graciously
met a total stranger and , out of the goodness of his heart,gave me a job: pulling threads out of the
splintery floor of his ladies underwear factory.This enabled me to save enough money to bring my
dear sister to New York from Berlin where she and my parents had found temporary refuge after
fleeing Nuremberg,my home town..Together we were able to rescue our aged parents. My brother's
whereabouts were unknown to us, but he survived. His wife did not want to live in the United States
and they returned to Nuremberg and were able to take care of our parents in their last years of life.
Having been promoted to traveling salesman, I did well and together with my sister we were able
to support our penniless parents until the time when Uncle Sam demanded that I pay back for
letting me stay in the U.S. and after giving me the so desired American citizenship,wanted me
to fight for my new country.Lucky me again, being overage I was able to soldier for two years
in beautiful downtown Burbank,able to see my parents and sister occasionally and to help support
them with my meager army pay, to which I could add whatever I earned at Lockheed Aircraft
after duty hours.My colonel liked me and prevented my possibly being sent to Germany where
the fighting was very heavy. Then , to make up for this blessed time,we were sent to Okinawa
where,fortunately, peace was declared a month later. But they needed me in the office there,
made me a Master Sergeant and kept me for another seven months.
While in Burbank my dear sister and my future brother-in law arranged a blind date for Corporal
Ross and his future wife Bella. On the second date I proposed,was accepted, and our blessed,
long marriage began .After my return and discharge there were no jobs in California where
I would have loved to stay, and Belle and I had to return to my former job in New York.
Again blessed fate intervened and my new in-laws visiting in Los Angeles with their son,
now a doctor, found a shoe store for sale and invited us to join them in that undertaking.
It took Belle and I one minute to accept the offer and we and our one year old daughter
"Diane' joined them in this so successful venture. The best thing in our lives was watching
our dear daughter grow up,do well in school, and the continuation of this report is up to her.
Dear Belle left me,now ten years ago, and I look forward to rejoin her when the time comes,
feeling that I have lived a charmed, happy and successful life for which I am most grateful !