"Thank you for your nice X'mas card we received last year. We understand that you are all kept very busy and have little tie to write. It is good to know that you are all well, having a new house and enjoying work and life in New York State. We will be very grateful if you could send us some pictures of the family, the house or the city where you now live."
"Boris is still working with the Resettlement Department of the Hongkong Government and it is the 10th year since he joined the government service. He is also serving as one of the Deacons of the Emmanuel Church. There are about 3 1/2 millions people living in this colony coming from the mainland of China. About 1,000,000 are so called refugees like we are, leaving their homes after the Communist took over in 1949. We are longing for the day that we all can go back to our hometown, but for the time being we rather stay at Hong Kong. In Communist China people have not enough food to eat and yet they have to work 14 hours a day. People are living in an organisation called Communes which means "People's Common Society". Hundreds of people eat together, husband and wife meet once a week and the rest of the time they are seperated and live at barracks like soldiers. There is no such a thing called HOME which is so important to the Chinese Family life. Both the Catholic and Protestant churches are persecuted. People have no freedom at all. They are treated like machines and animals. We are lucky to stay at Hongkong where we still have freedom."
"Elsie is also busy with the housework and the taking care of our son David who is now 2 1/2 years old. It is learned that a new refugee relief act will soon come into force. We will then apply again for visa to enter the U.S.A. as immigrants. Our destination is unknown for the time being, probably Los Angeles, Calif., Pray God will guide our plans for the future. Hope you will pray for us too."
"Have you heard from Berent Friele at all? Is he in the States or South America? Where is Zarembo, is he still with the Army? Whenever you have time, please write us a few lines - if possible -."
"With much love."
"Yours sincerely,
Elsie and Boris M. CHU"
They exchanged Christmas cards for many years. Dad and Mom told us kids merely that Boris Chu was "someone Daddy worked with in China." That's it! That's all I know!
Was Boris Chu attached to the OSS with Dad? If so, was he with ground forces or Staff? How did the couple get to Hong Kong, and when? Did they make it to the U.S.? Do they have descendants in America, or in Hong Kong?
Why did our parents not tell us all the details and make sure we understood their importance? Were they simply trying to give us an idyllic childhood, untroubled by unpleasantness? If so, could they not see that that is never a good idea?
Or were they simply trying to keep their own memories in check? Eugene fought Tojo's soldiers hand-to-hand in southwest China. All he said was, "There was a lot of running." And then for years afterwards, many nights there was a lot of screaming through his nightmares. Certainly I can understand a man wanting to keep those hatches battened down. At the same time, I wonder if he ever had any competent advisor who might have helped him face his demons, as many "shell-shock" - now "PTSD" - veterans have done. If he had no such advisor, he and Mom would have had to deal with this alone - as a great many people have done.
I can only tell you all one more thing. Dad kept the leather shoulder-strap from his Army rifle. He put that strap on a clothes hanger and kept it hung on one end of his clothes closet for the rest of his life.
Julie
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