A History of A Christmas Past!

Christmastime, refugees story, history, Fort Ontario and the American participation in WWII.

With all of the wrangling about immigration and the refugee problem I thought it would do us well to look to the past.  Our past has been clouded by bigotry for many years, as a matter of fact because of our quotas during WWII
we acted selfishly in forcing our Allies and friends to take in refugees but failed to do it ourselves.  Here is a local story on history that you can learn about today and part of it took place at Christmastime.

One of the least known Christmas time stories from history happened on December 22, 1945, when the then President Truman issued his “Truman Directive” executive order. This order finally allowed the United States to fill immigration quotas with what were then labeled as DP’s, “displaced persons”.

This story had its immediate impact with the only refugee camp for DP’s in the United States, a camp at Fort Ontario in Oswego, NY, now known as Safe Haven.

This little known piece of history is an interesting look into the policies of the United States on immigration, (especially Jewish). A time when we set tight limits on the number of immigrants allowed entering the USA, because of the war that was on.. The fact remained that as the Allied Forces swept through Europe and Nazi Concentration Camps were liberated, the many people who lived through the horrific experience had no place to go. Though countries all over the world took in DP’s the, United States did not.

With much political pressure, Roosevelt finally in 1944 allowed 982 Holocaust survivors and political prisoners of war that were liberated or displaced to come the United States as his “Guests”. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes sent Ruth Gruber an assistant to escort these refugees to the United States and to record their stories..

The people who were chosen met a criteria that consisted of those who had helped in the Allied War effort, had lost relatives in the Holocaust, had family in the United States or had talents that could help run the American shelter. The selection also gave preference to those who had several family members with them. The catch was that after the war they would all have to return to their homeland – they had no standing; they were only regarded as guests of the President.

The group left from Naples, Italy on the troop transport Henry Gibbons under heavy escort; the ship also carried another 1,000 wounded service men. Ruth Gibbons in her book “Haven” which was made into a TV movie, chronicled the trip and stories of these refugees. It also showed how much pressure had to be used to get just this small group of mostly “Jews” to the United States.

As the war came to a close in 1945, these immigrants who had learned English, whose children attended school in Oswego, and who had become part of the American spirit were to be shipped back; many to homes that no longer existed and to a world devastated by war.

The “Truman Directive” issued while Congress was on Christmas holiday came in time to keep these people from this. The fact was however, that they had to leave the United Sates and then return with visas. Taking the refugees to the Rainbow Bridge in Canada, and then allowing them to reenter with visas accomplished this. Of the 982, only 100 chose to return to their homeland.

Today the Safe Haven Museum at Fort Ontario welcomes visitors and through beautiful displays and video helps tell about this dark time in American history, a time when we ourselves turned our backs on not only Jewish immigrants, but also on our own American Japanese citizens.

The fort itself  is trying to gain National Park status and it is my hope they succeed. The Safe Haven Museum located on its grounds is open year-round

Remembering the Holocaust, WWII and Local History...

With all of the hatred being spread daily on Facebook, via the airways, rethoric and beyond, I thought it was time to step back and review for a minute what hatred has wrought across the world.

This year ..Sunday January 27th, is Holocaust Remembrance Day.  It has a special message regardless of our faith … but because of our humanness as members of mankind.  We have celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation this year, and so we should take time to reflect on all oppression and all enslavement…faith based or otherwise… even including ignorance.

We receive daily messages on Facebook about hatred of gun control, abortion rights, Second Amendment rights… but none of it really brings home the story of mankind’s evil side.  That part of us that exudes hatred or extreme dislikes for anyone or anything that opposes our own view - whether it be religious or political.

We here in CNY seldom have an opportunity to revisit information on the Holocaust unless it is part of our family’s history, nor do we take the time to consider its implications in a way that perhaps could change how our children behave in adulthood.  We do however have a great resource if we wish to have a ‘hands-on” learning lesson… that resource is the Safe Haven Museum in Oswego.

The museum does not dwell on the horrors of the Holocaust…  though it is there, what it does is focus on is the USA and our response to the displacement of people as each of the WWII concentration camps were liberated by our troops.  The short 37-minute documentary actually allows children who lived through the Holocaust tell their story in a humanistic and sometimes humorous way…  they having been dropped from the horrors of war into a Displaced Person Camp at Fort Ontario.  It also gives us hope as they explain the kindness of the Oswego people and its children. 

Christmastime, refugees story, history, Fort Ontario and the American participation in WWII.

With all of the wrangling about immigration and the refugee problem I thought it would do us well to look to the past.  Our past has been clouded by bigotry for many years, as a matter of fact because of our quotas during WWII
we acted selfishly in forcing our Allies and friends to take in refugees but failed to do it ourselves.  Here is a local story on history that you can learn about today and part of it took place at Christmastime.

One of the least known Christmas time stories from history happened on December 22, 1945, when the then President Truman issued his “Truman Directive” executive order. This order finally allowed the United States to fill immigration quotas with what were then labeled as DP’s, “displaced persons”.

This story had its immediate impact with the only refugee camp for DP’s in the United States, a camp at Fort Ontario in Oswego, NY, now known as Safe Haven.

This little known piece of history is an interesting look into the policies of the United States on immigration, (especially Jewish). A time when we set tight limits on the number of immigrants allowed entering the USA, because of the war that was on.. The fact remained that as the Allied Forces swept through Europe and Nazi Concentration Camps were liberated, the many people who lived through the horrific experience had no place to go. Though countries all over the world took in DP’s the, United States did not.

With much political pressure, Roosevelt finally in 1944 allowed 982 Holocaust survivors and political prisoners of war that were liberated or displaced to come the United States as his “Guests”. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes sent Ruth Gruber an assistant to escort these refugees to the United States and to record their stories..

The people who were chosen met a criteria that consisted of those who had helped in the Allied War effort, had lost relatives in the Holocaust, had family in the United States or had talents that could help run the American shelter. The selection also gave preference to those who had several family members with them. The catch was that after the war they would all have to return to their homeland – they had no standing; they were only regarded as guests of the President.

The group left from Naples, Italy on the troop transport Henry Gibbons under heavy escort; the ship also carried another 1,000 wounded service men. Ruth Gibbons in her book “Haven” which was made into a TV movie, chronicled the trip and stories of these refugees. It also showed how much pressure had to be used to get just this small group of mostly “Jews” to the United States.

As the war came to a close in 1945, these immigrants who had learned English, whose children attended school in Oswego, and who had become part of the American spirit were to be shipped back; many to homes that no longer existed and to a world devastated by war.

The “Truman Directive” issued while Congress was on Christmas holiday came in time to keep these people from this. The fact was however, that they had to leave the United Sates and then return with visas. Taking the refugees to the Rainbow Bridge in Canada, and then allowing them to reenter with visas accomplished this. Of the 982, only 100 chose to return to their homeland.

Today the Safe Haven Museum at Fort Ontario welcomes visitors and through beautiful displays and video helps tell about this dark time in American history, a time when we ourselves turned our backs on not only Jewish immigrants, but also on our own American Japanese citizens.

The fort itself  is trying to gain National Park status and it is my hope they succeed. The Safe Haven Museum located on its grounds is open year-round and for more information on its open times and directions go to www.oswegohaven.org.

Holocaust Rembrance Day, Fort Ontario, and Safe Haven Museum a place to visit!

With all of the hatred being spread daily on Facebook, via the airways, and beyond, I thought it was time to step back and review for a minute what hatred has wrought across the world.

Sunday April 7^th through the evening of April 8^th is Holocaust Remembrance Day.  It has a special message regardless of our faith … but because of our humanness as members of mankind.  We have celebrated the Emancipation Proclamation this year, and so we should take time to reflect on all oppression and all enslavement…faith based or otherwise… even including ignorance.

We receive daily messages on Facebook about hatred of gun control, abortion rights, Second Amendment rights… but none of it really brings home the story of mankind’s evil side.  That part of us that exudes hatred or extreme dislikes for anyone or anything that opposes our own view - whether it be religious or political.

We here in CNY seldom have an opportunity to revisit information on the Holocaust unless it is part of our family’s history, nor do we take the time to consider its implications in a way that perhaps could change how our children behave in adulthood.  We do however have a great resource if we wish to have a ‘hands-on” learning lesson… that resource is the Safe Haven Museum in Oswego.

The museum does not dwell on the horrors of the Holocaust…  though it is there, what it does is focus on is the USA and our response to the displacement of people as each of the WWII concentration camps were liberated by our troops.  The short 37-minute documentary actually allows children who lived through the Holocaust tell their story in a humanistic and sometimes humorous way…  they having been dropped from the horrors of war into a Displaced Person Camp at Fort Ontario.  It also gives us hope as they explain the kindness of the Oswego people and its children. 

I include here links that I hope you will follow to pieces I have written on the Safe Haven story, and a video of the museum from my History Stars Productions Company!

http://www.examiner.com/article/a-visit-to-safe-haven-museum-oswego-an-important-piece-of-our-history

Video and story below!  

http://historystarproductions.com/blog/safe-haven-at-oswegos-fort-ontario/

A Safe Haven

Few people including myself (until last month) know that there is a Safe Haven Museum on the grounds of historic Fort Ontario. Even fewer know what the museum is about....I decided to take a quick trip to the museum and try to bring word of it to the public. 

The day was beautiful which allowed me the opportunity to take pictures inside and out for a video.  The story went on from there as I found out that there was a made for TV movie staring many notable people including Anne Bancroft and Martin Landau, recreating the story of Safe Haven and the woman who wrote the novel "Haven" about it.

The woman was Ruth Gruber and Ruth is an unbelievably remarkable woman...she is 100 years old and has written many books on her experiences and the story of Oswego and the Fort Ontario Refugee camp..America's only "Displace Persons" camp.
The reality of this secret sort of history I think is because over the years it has been pointed out that this was a shameful part of our World War II history.  History that included locking up our own Americans of Japanese decent.

Yes with the WWII raging, with concentration camps being liberated leaving thousands homeless and starving, nations from all over the world took in refugees from the Holocaust and displaced persons, but we did not......it took massive political pressure to take in only the 982 souls who would reside in Oswego until the end of the war in a camp at Fort Ontario......they were then to be sent back to their homeland at the end of the war....go to http://www.historystarproductions.com and read more about this...and how they were saved from deportation....

And as for history repeating itself..well the big topic of discussion today on immigration rages....now however it is not about Jews..it is about Mexicans....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Gruber   http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2011/10/15/141325143/a-woman-of-photos-and-firsts-ruth-gruber-at-100