Zoe & Me Plus

By Jason Savage

Zoe & Me Plus. What does that mean? This book was originally envisioned to be about a period in my life living with my bi-color Manx cat Zoe. I began to write just after she passed away on May 2, 2002. I've worked on this book for thirteen years. It's now August 2015. As I wrote, I decided to make it a full fledged pictorial autobiography. This book includes over 1,500 photos, some dating back to the early 1900's.

Zoe and I are still a prominent feature. The Plus adds my parents, sister, friends, my other companion animals, and the wild animals with whom I worked, particularly tigers. I thank Dr. Michael Bleyman for his dedication to saving the tiger and educating me on that effort. You can read about the Tiger Preservation Initiative on the Zoe Foundation Web site at www.ZoeTigers.org.

If you purchase my book and don't have an EPUB reader, I recommend Sigil - sigil-ebook.com. It does a great job presenting the complete pages as written.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329460997

Book preview

Cover

Zoë & Me Plus

A Lifetime of Memories

Zoë - Spring of 1988

by

Jason Savage

Contributor

Valli Schieltz

TigersTime Studios

2015

Copyright

Copyright © 2015 by Jason Savage

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2015

ISBN: 978-1-329-46099-7

TigersTime Studios

5225 Banks Haven Ct

Raleigh, NC 27603-8957

www.TigersTimeStudios.com

Ordering Information:

Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, educators, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the above listed address.

U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers:

Please contact TigersTime Studios

Phone: [phone] or email [e-mail].

Dedication

This autobiography is dedicated to the feline I cherished with all my heart - Zoë, to all of you who are or will be owned by that incredibly precious fur person, and to the majestic tiger who may be making its final stand on planet earth.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Zoë for being the driving inspiration to write this autobiography, Valli Schieltz (my sister) for her encouragement and contributions, and each person and animal I got to know throughout my life. Our interactions sculpted my being. For that, I am in your debt.

The Writer

Born Glenn Forrest Dennis on June 8, 1949 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina to James Harold Dennis and Louise Natalie Yanson Dennis, he began using the pseudonym Jason Savage in the early '80's after a close friend recommended its use with the photo (1991) he submitted for a part in the movie North/South.

Pictured with Jason is the animal love of his life, Zoë. He met her at a fellow artist's residence when she was only a few months old. The artist, Kata Billups of Elvis Art fame, planned to marry and had to find Zoë a home. Jason adopted her, and in 1987 the Zoë Foundation was born. Zoë's illustrated likeness became the registered logo of the foundation on May 8, 2001. She passed away on May 2, 2002. A tissue sample was taken and cells cultured. They remain frozen for future cloning.

Mr. Savage spent much of his adult life in Charleston, SC. His father, James H. Dennis, an OSS operative during WWII, was an award-winning salesman for the US Royal tire company. After short stays in North Carolina, New Jersey, and Florida, he moved his family to Charleston in the late 50's. He passed away suddenly from a heart attack when Jason (Glenn) was thirteen.

His mother, Louise Y. Dennis, took the reins and provided for the family. Louise Yanson, before she married, was a stenographer assigned to the war crimes trials in Nuremberg, Germany. She later worked for the CIA and finally US Customs as an honored supervisor.

Jason studied music for many years and attended the University of Arizona on a music scholarship. He graduated with a BS degree in counseling. After college, he taught for two years at the Leonard School of Music where he first began his studies.

Desiring something a little different, he apprenticed a cabinetmaker whom he met during a road trip with one of Leonard's bands. After several years, learning the trade Jason pursued another love - tennis. He took a position at a local racquet club where he honed his skills, built courts, and taught. He always reminisced that this was one of the best times of his life.

Since he loved competition, Jason took up serious running when he was twenty-seven. He participated in road races across the US and was ranked in the Masters Division top ten in South Carolina. He ran all distances from miles to marathons, winning over two hundred awards. He retired from serious racing after the 1996 Boston Marathon, but took up the sport once again nine years later. He ran in the 2007 Senior Olympics in Louisville, KY after winning the 5K state qualifier in North Carolina.    

During his running career, he and a partner founded a very successful marine construction company. From there he became a general contractor and started renovating historic Charleston homes. He spent fifteen years in that business during which time he began the Zoë Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping endangered species.

1979 added a new dimension to Jason's life. He began experimenting with linear graphics encapsulated in resin. He showed his first kinetic sculpture during the Spoleto Festival USA. From those early sculptures and years of consulting in New York, his worked morphed into his trademark Gothic originals and prints, the Manx puzzle, and electro plated titanium nitride coated stainless steel memorials.

Hurricane Hugo devastated Charleston in 1989. Jason remained at the Johns Island home his mother had purchased several years before. It was a beautiful 1 ½ acres on the Stono River with a separate studio apartment. Savage later remarked that the 145 mile per hour winds almost blew the house into the river. He huddled in a small bedroom bath with Zoë & Suki while the structure vibrated.

Due to the construction workload for years after the storm, Jason decided to better manage his businesses via computer. But he had no computer and no skills in that arena. He asked a computer savvy friend for advice and off he went. Several years later he started Savage Studios, a graphic design firm. He proceeded into Web design and honed his skills for decades to come.

In 1995 he got a call from the world renowned tiger expert and zoologist Dr. Michael Bleyman, founder and director of the Carnivore Preservation Trust in Pittsboro, NC. Bleyman asked Savage if he would like to help save the tiger before extinction. That was something he could not pass up. He arranged to meet Bleyman on his return from a cat show in Ohio where he was doing research on a new cat care product he designed. Jason later received a US patent on his invention - the LitterSifter™.

Michael and Jason formed an immediate working relationship that quickly evolved into a close friendship. Unfortunately, Michael passed away due to cancer in July 1996 at the age of fifty-eight.

Within the year after Michael's death, Jason and his mother, now retired, relocated to Raleigh, NC to help the staff who took over CPT. The new director and the board were ill equipped to manage the preserve. They alienated everyone Michael knew, lost his pet tiger project he worked six years in Laos to build, and took CPT to the brink of disaster.

Jason continued to hold on to Michael's vision for saving the tiger. His mother passed away in 1999. He now managed the foundation full time with all efforts directed toward fund raising through product development and a unique marketing approach.

Mr. Savage, along with co-developer Carl Regutti, produced the first Duragraph™ in 2004. Their technique of etching high-resolution images into stainless steel and titanium was designed to offer immortality in a graphic form to those who have passed on. The Duragraph™ was renamed the Diamond Memory Tribute™ and is featured on the Immortal Memories Web site.

Based on these special tributes, Savage and Regutti decided it would be fitting to first honor our dedicated troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq. Savage and Regutti formed Freedom Memorials, Inc. and designed the Afghanistan & Iraq war memorial based on the use of the Diamond Memory Tributes.

Jason is a born again Christian who studied the bible through the Greek and Aramaic texts with a research ministry in Ohio for ten years. "One thing the founder of the ministry once said that always stuck with me. He said, 'If the teachings of Jesus Christ are true and I follow the written word and His example I will have a great reward at the gathering together. If they are not true I am no worse off and I have hurt no one.' I have personally seen signs, miracles and wonders during my life. I believe the bible to be true.

It was Albert Einstein who said, 'Everyone who is seriously interested in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, a spirit vastly superior to man, and one in the face of which our modest powers must feel humble.' I always ask an atheist if they think they are smarter than Einstein."

He had one sister, Valli Schieltz, who passed away due to cancer on June 28, 2015. Valli and her husband Fred had five children.

Preface

I began with a single objective, writing a book about me and my gorgeous, bi-color (black & white), full rumpy Manx cat - Zoë. I started the first page on an evening filled with tears. That day was Thursday, May 2, 2002 - the day Zoë passed away. She was only a few months shy of her fifteenth birthday.

That morning she was lying in one of her rug covered pet boxes, but she didn’t appear to be feeling well. She was favoring her mouth. I thought that she may have chipped a tooth, so I took her to vet who happened to be just a short drive away. I repeatedly told this doctor how important this feline was to me and my foundation. Zoë was the first animal I personally ever owned and took care of. Her illustration remains the registered logo for the Zoë Foundation, Inc., a 501 c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to saving the tiger before extinction. You get the idea. I was nervous about this older kitty getting her tooth checked. I did not want her anesthetized because of the potential risk of complications in an older animal. If she needed an operation of some sort, that’s one thing. But checking for a potential tooth or gum problem, that’s another. After my admonishments, I entrusted her to the vet.

Later that evening I received a call from one of the receptionists - Zoë was dead. I felt like my heart had left my body. My worst fear had come to pass. To add insult to injury, the young lady asked me when I could take care of the bill. Can you imagine? I was grief stricken, and she asked about the bill!

I couldn’t collect myself. I was walking around the house in a sobbing daze. My best friend was gone. You’ll understand why I say that as you get to know Zoë & me beginning in 1988. In all honesty, I had trouble functioning for more than a month after her passing.

I needed a few days to pull myself somewhat together before I could go to the vet’s to pick up Zoë's remains. I had her cremated. Her red velvet pouch still has its place atop my fireplace mantel along with her/my other cat friends - companions through the years. I was told that the doctor had anesthetized Zoë against my wishes. She suffered complications, her heart stopped, and she died. This doctor did not call and tell me he had to anesthesize Zoë. If he had I would have stopped him. I would have asked him to do a complete blood work up to first determine if she was a good candidate for anesthesia. She was an older cat. Her kidneys may not have been functioning optimally. Unfortunately, she was overweight. That was a red flag right there. I later found out that this vet was never really that good with animals. Complaints abounded. I took my cat to an inept doctor, and she paid the price.

It’s a sad fact, but checking out how good or bad a vet is can be extremely difficult. I must assume some of the blame for Zoë's death. I ignored an incident that should have red flagged this doctor. I took one of my other cats, Samson, to him for a check up. Samson was a feisty rescue. You’ll learn about him later. He swatted at the vet, and the vet then hit Samson in the face - hard. At that moment I should have seen the writing on the writing on the wall. This guy was not a compassionate person. Just the opposite. He was anxious and fearful. That’s the moment I should have taken Samson home and never returned. He eventually had to retire from his practice and leave the area. The way he treated animals finally caught up with him. Good riddance. I now advise everyone to thoroughly check out their vets. Get personal references and call them to see how their pets were treated. Where did your vet go to school? How high did they graduate in their class? It’s your pets life. Be diligent.

It’s about time I got back on track. When Zoë passed, I intended to write a book about our lives together. I planned a photo book because, as you know, pictures are worth a thousand words. When I first met Zoë in 1988 there were no digital cameras, so all my photos, up to the day when I bought my first digital camera, were taken with my Canon using film. I started going through my albums and selected pictures to scan for this book. Most of the film photos needed digital retouching to some degree.

My mother passed away in 1999. I found literally hundreds of photos she had stored away in boxes. I then thought it would be nice to expand the scope of my ‘Zoë & Me’ book. I would make it an autobiography and include my family. The book became Zoë & Me Plus. Now I had tons of photos to go through. Many of them were very old and needed extensive digital restoration. Fortunately I am a graphic artist, so I can do that myself, but the time it took - years! I am just beginning the writing of this book today, Sunday, August 3, 2014. Because I had my other obligations, along with a good share of procrastination, it took me twelve years to review and digitize the photos. It’s almost unbelievable. It seems like Zoë just passed.

This book tells its story through photos and captions, which, at times, take more than a few words. I truly hope you enjoy the reading about my life and my animals. It’s been a long journey. I would like future generations to remember. 

Introduction

My name is Glenn Forrest Dennis. It is my pleasure to offer you a glimpse into my life. I first decided to put my history on paper after the passing of my most favorite cat - Zoë, pictured on the front cover.

Most recently I read a passage written by Dave Eggers in the book The Autobiographer’s Handbook that was quite moving. Dave was talking about family trees. Then he says the following, But beyond these skeletal details, there was no other record of their lives. No books, no journals, no memoirs. And so these people, their lives and voices and knowledge, were lost to us. A sampling of their memories, a sketch of their lives, was presumably passed to their children, and then a faded version of that sketch was passed to the next generation. From there people were reduced to names, dates, perhaps one distinguishing characteristic. The vast majority of what they felt and wanted and saw was gone.

We can all probably relate to this if we think about our families. I have hundreds of photos taken by my grandmother and my mother that I cannot identify. I have photos going back before my grandmother. These people are now lost to me and everyone else. My mother was a stenographer on the War Crimes Trials in Nuremberg. She never wrote or talked about her experiences. And I made the huge mistake of never asking her about that time in her life. Now that she’s passed, all that experience is lost. I hope my memoirs will be passed down so others will know I was here and tried to make a difference in the world.

I will first give you a brief synopsis of my life and then tell my story in photos. As the old saying goes, a picture can speak a thousand words.

I was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on June 8, 1949. My dad, James Harold Dennis, moved us around a bit until we settled in Charleston, South Carolina in 1958. I included a brief chronology at the end of this introduction.

When we moved to Charleston I attended James Island Elementary because it was close to our rented home. They didn’t have bussing in those days. My dad bought our first home in Fort Johnson Estates, a new subdivision located on James Island. After the move, I attended Harbor View Elementary.

I was not a particularly good student in grammar school or high school. My old report cards attest to that. There were extenuating circumstances that many would say affected my performance. In order to understand my life, I must be honest about it.

My father was a caring and good man. I traveled with him, played golf with him, and shared some of his worst times. James was a heavy drinker and heavy smoker. My mom smoked as well until she quit cold turkey when I was in my early teens. She had tremendous will power. One evening she just threw the cigarettes in the trash, and that ended the addiction. She never touched them again.

This was my dad’s third marriage. I never knew that until my mother passed away and I began going through her papers. I discovered that we have, or had, a half brother. I could find no more information on him.

My dad kept bottles of liquor hidden everywhere - in the house, in the car, even his golf bag. When he got drunk, which wasn’t, by any means, an everyday occurrence, he would get mean and take out his troubles on my mom. To my knowledge, he never hit her, but he was verbally abusive. Sometimes he would throw things. One time he took out a knife and cut up one of my mother’s favorite, black bathing suits. Another time he threw my mom’s radio down the basement stairs. I was only a few years old at the time. We were then living in Iselin, NJ. These traumatic experiences one never forgets.

His behavior when he was drinking put tremendous stress on our family. My sister and I would frequently hide under my bed when they were arguing. Needless to say, after those nights, we went to school sleep deprived. It scared us both.

One afternoon, when my father and I were headed to the golf course, he stopped his car and pulled out a bottle from under the driver’s seat. He poured the contents onto the street and vowed never to drink again. That was a show for my benefit. He didn’t stop.

I never knew it, but a few years back my sister told me that my mom was going to seek a divorce. She couldn’t take any more arguing. My father died before that eventuality.

When my dad was sober, he was great. He did all he could for the family. Each Christmas was special. We traveled. He would race around making sure that I got to band class and music lessons on time. He coached me when I played pee-wee football. He taught me how to take care of things, an admonition that I follow to this day. He taught Sunday School, and he got me born again, his greatest achievement. He faithfully served his country in time of war. He was a good man.      

A teacher from Leonard’s School of Music made a presentation at Harbor View Elementary one morning, showing and demonstrating various band instruments. I decided that I wanted to play the trumpet. That decision started a lifelong relationship with the Leonard family.

Not long after beginning trumpet lessons I got braces. Oh man! That made playing the horn tough. Danny Leonard, Patrick Leonard’s son (Patrick was the owner of Leonard’s School of Music and his son taught music at the school), suggested that I take up the oboe. The band needed an oboe player, so I accepted his invitation. The Martin trumpet my dad bought me went into the closet. He later sold it or traded it to purchase my new oboe.

Eventually Danny started me on the saxophone. The oboe and the sax have very similar fingering techniques, so learning the sax was relatively easy. Danny selected students to play in a dance band he formed. I was fortunate enough to be one of the sax players.

Danny played sax with a professional dance band called the Tommy Garret Orchestra. They played most of the prestigious affairs in and around the Charleston area. I was invited to play with the band when one of their regular sax players couldn’t make it. That was a wonderful experience. 

I made Allstate Band (playing the oboe) four years in a row - 9th through 12th grade. The last year I also made Allstate Orchestra. I received a scholarship to attend the University of Arizona where I played the oboe and English Horn in the orchestra and saxophone in the marching band.

While in Arizona, I began fervently playing the guitar, learning techniques by studying guitarists in local pubs. I walked the campus with my guitar over my shoulder, playing and singing for anyone who would listen. I was a long haired ‘hippie’ in those days - the late 60’s and 70’s.  During my junior year I started a band, but we didn’t stick together. I finally started playing night clubs as a duo with a young lady who played a cordovox accordion.

I went home during summer breaks from college. I would rather surf than work, which is what I did most of the time. I did a lot of surfing and water skiing through high school. A close friend and I once took a summer job working for a painting contractor. I learned a lot from one of the seasoned painters. For the most part, if I needed money, I would take on side jobs - painting, pressure washing, whatever. I got some cash and headed back to the beach.

I still think I was one of the first to introduce the ‘hippie’ look to Charleston. After my freshman year, I came back to town with long hair, a tie died shirt, leather vest and black moccasin boots. Man, did I get some looks when I walked down King Street. I remember getting harassed by a group of guys at Folly Beach one evening. I got away with the attire and no trouble by saying I was a member of the band. 

I graduated from the U of A with a Bachelor of Education - Specialty: Counseling/Rehabilitation. I returned to Charleston and went to work teaching music for Leonard’s.

I taught private lessons at the music school and local area schools. Everyone knew I was there. I drove a large International, zebra striped panel truck - white with black stripes. A long time friend of mine, David Fuseler, and I hand painted my truck after I returned from Arizona. You’ll see pictures of it.

While at Leonard’s I started another band. There was five of us - all singers. We developed a sound similar to the Carpenters. If you don’t know who they were, you can read about them on the Internet. We were once invited to Atlanta to cut a demo recording, but the band broke up. That was a shame. I believe we could have made it to fame and fortune. What might have been?

I take responsibility for the band dissolving. When I was younger, I always had to be learning and doing something different. I simply had to move on. That’s why I’ve done so many things during my life. And I’ve managed to do them all well.

I better stop rambling on with the history lesson. I’ll let the photos and their captions tell my story.

One more thing. I have proof read this book several times, but it is extremely difficult to proof your own work. I have not hired nor burdened a friend or relative with that chore. I may hire a proofreader at some point, but for now I want to apologize for any typos or punctuation errors. If you run across some when you’re reading, please make a note of the exact location and send a message to [e-mail] or [e-mail]. I can then make the corrections.

Thank you very much for your interest.

Early Days

1887

1896

1917

1918

My mother's birth certificate.

1919

1920

My mother Louise (left) with her sister Beatrice. September 14, 1920.

1924

My mother Louise (left) with her sister Beatrice.

1931

My mother Louise at Olympic Park Pool in New Jersey at Irvington.

1933

This is my mom’s mother Christine Yanson with her

Great Dane. Records indicate she immigrated to the US in 1904.

My mother Louise (left), her father

Steve Yanson, and her sister Beatrice.

Steve, Christine, and their Husky in June.

Steve at work at his gas station. My cousin

Susan told me that Steve later worked for Domino Sugar.

1934

Photos from their Season Ticket Annual.

1935

Caption on the back of this photo. "I used to like this. Just maybe you would too.

Taken not quite a year before I met you. Louise" I do not know to whom she was referring.

1940's

My father, James Harold Dennis, in uniform. He was a Sargent in the OSS during WWII. One of his assignments was to Burma where he taught hand-to-hand combat techniques, knife fighting, and weapons usage to officers and enlisted men. I could not find an exact date or location for this particular photo.

My dad’s leather football helmet. One of the keepsakes I still have.

1943

My dad in Burma with his Thompson Submachine gun.

My dad in Burma with his Thompson Submachine gun.

My dad in Burma with his 45.

My dad’s dagger. If you look closely, you can see it strapped to his right leg in the above photo and the photo where he is holding his 45.

A souvenir from WWII that my dad gave me. I still have it.

1944

June 6, 1944. The D-Day invasion of Europe was underway. Seven thousand miles away, in Burma, Staff Sergeant James H. Dennis was serving with the OSS  Office of Strategic Services as an instructor in weapons and close combat. A letter from British Army Lieutenant Colonel W. E. Fairbairn, on loan to the OSS from 1942-1945, indicated that Staff Sergeant Dennis, on many occasions, was solely responsible for the training of high-ranking officers. Major General William J. Donovan, head of the OSS, sent my dad a glowing letter of recommendation after he was discharged from the service on June 13, 1947.

Sergeant Dennis left the OSS on October 25, 1945. On April 24, 1946, he was assigned to the Counter Intelligence Corp. He was transferred to Germany where he met my future mother, Louise Yanson. Miss Yanson was serving as a stenographer on the War Crimes Trials in Nuremberg.

My mom recounted a scene that could have been pulled from an old western movie. My dad and Louise apparently boarded a train in Germany at different times. My dad knew that Louise was in a car a few ahead of his, but the door to the next car in line was locked. Keep in mind, the train is now full steam ahead. My dad exited his car through a window, made his way to the roof, walked atop the moving train and entered my mom's car through another window. I guess after those years in Burma, such a maneuver was easily accomplished.

My dad passed away when I was just thirteen - he was forty-three. My sister and I were called to our school's office on the morning of April 23, 1963 where we given the news. In the short time I knew him, he taught me how to persevere, love the Lord, and play golf. He volunteered to help keep this great nation safe, and he did so to the best of his ability. He wasn't perfect, but he was a hero to me. I can now only reminisce about how things might have been should he have stayed with us a while longer.

1945

A letter from W. E. Fairbairn, Lt. Col. - British Army

Application for certificate in lieu of lost or destroyed discharge certificate. My dad was honorably discharged the first time on 10-25-1945. He later reenlisted and joined the OSS.

My mom at Bill’s house after going to the Stork Club - December 25, 1945. I never found any other record of Bill. I did find a reference on the Internet to a Stork Club that was in New York City during that time period. Many of my mom’s photos were undated, so I had to piece the time lines together based on other photos that were dated. There is no one alive today that confirm these dates.

1946

Passport was issued to Louise N. (Natalie) Yanson (my mother) on July 9, 1946.

September 1946 (probably around the 10th). Anchored off the shore of Southampton, England. My mom took a Liberty Ship over to Europe when she was a stenographer on the War Crimes Trials in Nuremberg. This is a view of the shore she took upon arrival.

Becky on the grounds of 4a in Dachau, Germany in October 1946. This was probably a lady that my mom worked with. She may have been another stenographer, but I could find no record to confirm this.

Dachau grounds of house 4a - October 1946.

Dachau - December 1946.

Back of clothing and accessory ration card - September 13, 1946.

Dachau

Front of clothing and accessory ration card - September 13, 1946

My dad (James) at the door in Germany. His

friends called him Denny.

Denny - December 25, 1946

A recommendation letter from William J. Donovan to my dad.

From Wikipedia: William Joseph (Wild Bill) Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was a United States soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat. Donovan is best remembered as the wartime head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency, during World War II. He is also known as the Father of American Intelligence and the Father of Central Intelligence.

A decorated veteran of World War I, General Donovan is the only person to have received all four of the United States' highest awards: The Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Security Medal. He is also a recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart, as well as decorations from a number of other nations for his service during both World Wars.

James Dennis - October 1946

Letter from William J. Donovan - February 16, 1946

Recommendation letter from Reuel Dorman - January 24, 1946. He was a Captain in the OSS.

The Hanging Tree. Three of the words below Hanging Tree were translated as tree, gallows, and fir.

Louise. December 28, 1946. She is going to Oberau.

Photo Caption: October 12, 1946 - Sea Girl (Louise)

House 3a, SS Strasse, Dachau - December. Unfortunately my mother did not include much documentation on her photos. I share what she had.

My dad in 1946. He was in Germany. Place unknown.

London Bus Pass

My mom’s room at 3a SS Strasse, Dachau.

Opera house kaput. Wiesbaden. September 1946

Louise at the Berchtesgaden ski lodge in December 1946.

A portrait of Louise that she had done when she was in Germany. I have this portrait hanging in my home today.

Witness Pass

Front of military bus schedule - 1946

Photos my mother had taken for the portrait she had commissioned.

Back of military bus schedule - 1946

Promotion - April 24, 1946

Two more photos my mom had taken for the portrait she had commissioned.

1947

Big Ben - London - August 1947

Area in my mother’s room.

Ration card - European Theater - April 17, 1947

Dachau Concentration Camp Album

My mom kept this book in immaculate condition. I keep it stored in a fireproof safe. I need to learn more about this book and how many might remain.

Clothing ration card - February 18, 1947

Dachau - January 1947

Channel crossing. Folkestone to Calais. August 1947

Berchtesgaden Bavaria

Credit/debit slip - 1947

Crematory - Dachau Concentration Camp

Berchtesgaden Bavaria - 1947

Going down a small canal in Venice August 1947

Dachau officers club - February 1947

Road leading to trials area.

Crematory furnaces - Dachau

Replication of a disciplinary hanging.

Hitler’s house at Berchtesgaden - July 19, 1947. The Obersalzberg. A number of other relics of the Nazi era can still be found in the area, although only a few of them are still well preserved. There is the Kehlsteinhaus (nicknamed Eagle's Nest by a French diplomat), which was built as a present for Hitler's 50th birthday in 1939. The remnants of homes of former Nazi leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring and Martin Bormannwere all demolished in the early postwar years.

Fritz in the Dachau office courtyard. February 1947

Eagle’s Nest - August 1947. Wikipedia: The Kehlsteinhaus (in English-speaking countries also known as the Eagle's Nest) is a chalet-style structure erected on a subpeak of the Hoher Göll known as the Kehlstein. It was built as an extension of the Obersalzberg complex erected in the mountains above Berchtesgaden. The Kehlsteinhaus was intended as a 50th birthday present for Adolf Hitler to serve as a retreat and a place for him to entertain visiting dignitaries.

Inside of plane on my mom’s flight from Munich to Rome. August 1947

En route - Munich to Rome - August 1947

Rome Airport - August 1947

Munich Airport - August 1947

Munich airport en route to Rome - August 1947

Louise on plane to Rome - August 1947

Caption on photo: Kleenex excursion trip - 1947

Eagle’s Nest kitchen - July 19, 1947

My dad’s parents - November 1947

Louise and Howard Walker - April 19, 1947

Linderhof Palace - Garmisch, Germany - June 22, 1947

My father’s discharge from the Army - June 13, 1947

My father’s discharge paper - side 2.

My father’s OSS certificate. His OSS pin is affixed to the top left.

Request for leave - March 17, 1947

Long distance call booking ticket to Elizabeth, NJ

April 13, 1947

Officers’ and Civilian Club membership card.

Mess ticket.

Ration card - February 13, 1947

Request for leave approved - March 18, 1947

Theater ticket - Munich, Germany

The grave of thousands unknown.

Ration card reverse side - February 13, 1947

This paper indicates that Col. Straight denied my mom’s request for leave on March 27, 1947. Papers on the previous pages indicate she got the leave. This is strange. We can only guess what the story might be.

Munich pass - March 28, 1947

Rail travel pass from Munich to Bremerhaven - September 22, 1947

London - 1947 - Westminster Abbey

My mom’s traveling companions - Barbara, Helen, Ruby, and Becky. August 1947

The White Cliffs of Dover - August 1947

London - Tower Bridge - August 1947

My dad in front of unknown store in 1947.

My mom carrying my dad. The location was probably the Jersey shore.

My grandfather, Steve Yanson, in 1947. Born December 26, 1887 in Lithuania. Deceased - August 5, 1963

I found an old photo of Steve as a young man with a sign around his neck. The original spelling of his last name was Yanshone. He changed it to Yanson after immigrating to the US. Somewhere along the way the ‘e’ first got dropped, so the name Yanshon was used for a while.

On occasion, Steve took me to a small, local bar where the smell of cigar smoke hung heavy in the air. It was only a short walk from his home. He downed a few beers and talked with the locals while I sipped my ginger ale and watched the patrons play pool.

Mom departed from the US on August 29, 1946 and returned to New York on the ship SS Willard A. Holbrook that departed from Bremerhaven, Germany on October 2, 1947 and arrived in New York on October 13, 1947. This ship’s record was found on line in the New Your archives.

My mom’s passport stamped October 13, 1947, the day she arrived back in New York.

My mom and dad’s wedding photo. They were married on December 27, 1947, the day the great blizzard struck New York City. A total of 26.4 in. (67 cm) fell in Central Park on Dec. 26-27, completely paralyzing the city. Due to the storm,