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Care Packages

 
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roger.pape
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Joined: 17 Mar 2009
Posts: 414
Location: Liverpool, NY

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 6:57 pm    Post subject: Care Packages Reply with quote

How many of you attended St. Paul’s School right after the end of World War II. If you did, you will probably remember the school project during late 1947 and early 1948 when we assembled Care packages and sent them to Germany. We were given instructions as to what was appropriate to include in the packages, simple things like school supplies (pencils, rulers, and writing pads), personal care products (soap, washcloths, gloves, handkerchiefs, etc.), and a few toys (like rubber balls).

Some time after they were sent, many of us received thank-you notes from the children to whom they were distributed. I was in the seventh grade at that time and one morning Teacher Wukasch handed me a group of letters that had been sent to Alvin Lange and me. Our packages arrived at a children’s home in Benthe, a few miles southwest of Hannover. The contents were divided among a number of children in the orphanage, so we received a number of notes. They were all in German but, if I recall correctly, Teacher Wukasch read and translated some of them for the class.

Recently, while going through a bunch of old papers, I came across the letters that I had received. Some of them were written on sheets of a notepad that I had sent (with “Universal Atlas Cements” on the heading). So, I tested my knowledge of German (with the help of a German-English dictionary) and reread all of those notes. I had a little trouble with some of the words, mainly trying to decipher the handwriting. Check the Orphanage Letters link to see the contents. I’m sure there are errors in reading them and my translation. If you can interpret or guess at some of the unknown words, let me know.

Apparently, the packages arrived shortly before Easter 1948 and were distributed to the children as Easter gifts. What particularly impressed me was the cheerful tone of the notes that they sent during what had to be very difficult times. I’m sure that the staff at the home suggested a few things for them to write. There is a lot of similarity.
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