Coming to America

There's a lot of talk today about illegal immigrants, and what should be done about them. I don't actually have the solution to that problem, but my mother was an illegal immigrant without her knowledge, and for a number of years lived in this country believing she was a legal resident. How the problem was handled back in the old days was gently and compassionately; I'm not sure what the outcome would be, now. My mother's humorous, gentle story probably wouldn't have a place in today's world, and that seems a pity. Here it is, and she told it to me...

The first sight I had of New York harbor was at five o'clock in the morning, February 22, 1946. I clutched Doris' arm and pointed to the chunks of ice floating in the murky water. "My God, Dori -- they've brought us to Alaska!"

We had been at sea for ten days, in a converted hospital ship the U.S. Army designated to transport war brides from London to New York. Half the crew and most of the passengers were ill for much of the voyage with chronic diarrhea, and one of the officer's wives had been discovered running a prostitution ring out of her top deck cabin.

As a lowly Sargeant's bride, I was relegated to the 'E' deck -- the lowest deck, on top of the engines. One morning I woke up to realize there was a sound missing from my slumber...the engines had stopped! Convinced we were sinking, we rushed up to the top deck only to be driven back down -- the ship had stalled in the middle of a huge storm.

By the time we arrived in New York, we were tired of the ship and one another. The new brides had been placed together, and most of us were quite young, the war having had the effect of heightening emotions and hormones, and making for a lot of early marriages.

By the time we arrived in New York, we were tired of the ship and one another. Doris was a friend I had made onboard -- a lovely Cockney girl who married a school teacher and was one her way to New Jersey. I didn't know at the time where I was on my way to -- my husband Peter was a native of Alabama, and had served as the very young Sheriff of his home town of