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✦ 15 Leaving the Philippines intended as replacements, one hundred U.S. Army nurses, including the newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Feibusch, arrived in Manila in February 1946.Ilse Feibusch,who was born in Wuppertal,Germany,left with her family in late 1938 after Kristallnacht and sailed from Bremerhaven to San Francisco. In 1944, since there were no boys in the Feibusch family, she had decided to join the army. Graduating as a registered nurse from the Mount Zion Hospital Nurses School,and after three months in practice,she reported for basic training at Fort Lewis. Now, in Manila, she sat next to an ambulance driver as the vehicle pulled up before a large house and stopped, because, as the army driver said, they were going to pick up several local people to take to the USO dance at the Jewish Welfare Board Clubhouse. Next to a notice about Jewish religious services posted by the chaplain at the lieutenant’s base, there had been an announcement about this dance,to which the ambulance,the only transportation available,was heading.Until now the lieutenant had no idea that there were Jews living in Manila. A few minutes later the civilians began to climb aboard. They were speaking German, which also surprised the lieutenant. Through the small access window between the cab and the interior of the ambulance she heard the civilians talking,commenting about the lady officer 180 escape to manila next to the driver, wondering who she was. The ratio of males to females was overwhelming at the dance, and Ilse had a great time. On the Passover holiday, Ilse attended the Seder held at an army camp and was instantly recognized by my parents, myself, and the other passengers who had been on the ambulance routed to the USO dance. She sat with us, and my mother arranged that she meet John Lewy, the lone survivor of the massacre of Jewish refugees at the Red Cross building, who had slowly recuperated from his ordeal.A natural ability to plan and organize,his fluent English, and an outgoing personality led him to a good job managing an officers’ club.Responsible for buying food,drinks,and supplies,he had a jeep at his disposal.Shortly after the Passover holiday, John Lewy called on Lt.Ilse Feibusch to take her out. The two met frequently and sometimes came to our house for dinner. John’s job at the officers’ club came to an end as many officers returned to the United States, but with his experience and contacts he was hired by the navy’s transport service to work as head steward on the Lock Knot, one of their supply ships. Late in 1946 Ilse Feibusch was waiting for a plane to take her back to the United States. John had proposed marriage, but Ilse did not immediately accept,telling him that if he was serious he must come to San Francisco . He was undaunted and hopeful while they corresponded after Ilse’s return home. Several weeks after Ilse had returned to San Francisco she received a letter from a shipmate of John’s informing her that he had burned his hands in the galley and would be unable to write for a while. She was horrified. She did not know that John was using a ruse—he had decided to bluster his way aboard a troop transport returning to the United States. He had no contacts in America to provide an affidavit, so, packing a military duffel bag and putting on his khaki uniform with some sort of an insignia, he joined a line of officers boarding a ship. His phone call to Ilse came from the troop transport docked in San Francisco . John could not come ashore, as he had no papers. In an arrangement with immigration officials, Ilse was able to meet him at the customs house, where he was locked up in the immigration detention section. Ilse called Rabbi Solomon White, the spiritual leader of a San Francisco congregation, who began to involve himself in John’s case.Three weeks after landing,John was released into the custody of the rabbi.Then,after a lengthy investigation, the immigration authorities found that John could immigrate under the U.S. War Brides Act,which was designed to enable returning servicemen to bring foreign wives to the United States. The act was interpreted to apply to any [18.119.143.4] Project MUSE (2024-04...

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