January 1953
A Trip to Remember
My father and mother, at the age of 33, decided to pull up stakes and emigrate to the United States. This was not an easy undertaking, as being German and coming from a country that wanted to destroy the world, not many people cared for our presence in the US. Th trip over took 6 days, longer than the earlier record setting pace of 3 days. Memories are limited, but vivid of that trip
The SS United States' First Arrival in Bremerhaven, Germany: January 3rd, 1953
I am not certain if we took the next trip from Bremerhaven to New York City, or that we took a later time in January, but we did cross the Atlantic in the middle of the winter. Our arrival in NYC's pier #76 on West 46th Street right by the Lincoln Tunnel. I remember having to wait for "Uncle Richie" to come and pick us up. We had one large container, built by my father, that was about 4x4x8. I sat on top of that box.
The trip across the ocean including stopping in Southampton, England, going past Ireland and then seeing the Statue of Liberty as we came into the Henry Hudson River. My only other memory was having dinner in a large dining room (not the first class dining room) and having a black man as our waiter. It was the first time I had ever seen a black man. He was super nice and brought us a wonderful ice cream desert, only it turned out to be a scope of mashed potatoes. Boy, was I disappointed. I don't remember if we did get a desert or not, but I assume we must have had some cake or similar delectable.
I don't remember the ride to Fair Lawn, as I assume I was pretty tired, since we came into port very early in the morning and my father had taken me out of our room up on deck to see the Statue of Liberty. We stayed with Uncle Richie for a short time, living in one of those 1940's bungalows just down the street from Broadway and the local movie theater (Hyway Movie Theater). I remember walking up to the theater and looking at all the posters of movies being played and movies coming soon. It wasn't too long thereafter that we moved to Elm Street in Paterson, NJ, just across the Passaic River.
I am not certain if we took the next trip from Bremerhaven to New York City, or that we took a later time in January, but we did cross the Atlantic in the middle of the winter. Our arrival in NYC's pier #76 on West 46th Street right by the Lincoln Tunnel. I remember having to wait for "Uncle Richie" to come and pick us up. We had one large container, built by my father, that was about 4x4x8. I sat on top of that box.
The trip across the ocean including stopping in Southampton, England, going past Ireland and then seeing the Statue of Liberty as we came into the Henry Hudson River. My only other memory was having dinner in a large dining room (not the first class dining room) and having a black man as our waiter. It was the first time I had ever seen a black man. He was super nice and brought us a wonderful ice cream desert, only it turned out to be a scope of mashed potatoes. Boy, was I disappointed. I don't remember if we did get a desert or not, but I assume we must have had some cake or similar delectable.
I don't remember the ride to Fair Lawn, as I assume I was pretty tired, since we came into port very early in the morning and my father had taken me out of our room up on deck to see the Statue of Liberty. We stayed with Uncle Richie for a short time, living in one of those 1940's bungalows just down the street from Broadway and the local movie theater (Hyway Movie Theater). I remember walking up to the theater and looking at all the posters of movies being played and movies coming soon. It wasn't too long thereafter that we moved to Elm Street in Paterson, NJ, just across the Passaic River.
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