Villager hopes to establish a local war brides group

THE VILLAGES — Paula Meier loves hearing World War II brides tell their stories. She always adored hearing how her U.S. Army father met her mother while he was stationed in Liverpool, England, and the pair married six months later.

“Dad would say, ‘I fought like tooth and nail and won myself a bride,’” Meier said with a smile, recalling her late father’s words.

The Village of Calumet Grove resident cherishes a framed black-and-white portrait of her parents, Jack and Sylvia Harris, on their May 1, 1945, wedding day. She recently relived hearing her 89-year-mother, Sylvia (Smith) Harris, share her memories during the World War II War Brides Association reunion hosted in Chicago, where war brides from many different countries were represented — women from Australia, England, Germany, Austria, France, the Philippines, Belgium, Japan, New Zealand, Poland — who had fallen in love with and married American servicemen stationed in their countries during the war.

“It’s so neat to hear their stories,” Meier said. “The group consists of women from other countries who married American soldiers during or directly after World War II. They came to America, mostly alone or with their newborns, leaving their entire families behind, to reunite with their husbands and fianc/s whom they met ‘back home.’ Most of them are in their 80s and most are widowed. Yet, they come to different U.S. cities each year to share a few days, and a lot of stories, with fellow war brides. It’s truly a sight to behold.”

Meier noted the reunion was extra special this year, due to hard work by her mother to have 2007 declared “The Year of the War Bride” by Congress. Her mother was honored by Rep. Tom Lantos of California for her efforts.

“Next year’s reunion will be in Orlando, and I’m thrilled to have it practically in my own backyard,” said Meier, who believes there could be a large contingent of war brides and children of war brides living in The Villages who would enjoy attending the fall 2008 event. Or, she hopes, there may be some Villagers interested in forming a local war brides group.

“The goal of the association is to keep the remembrances alive,” Meier said.

Reminiscing war brides

Her mother has enjoyed reminiscing with other war brides at the reunions, as well as with her own smaller group of fellow war brides that she meets with in the San Francisco area.

“What I love is the fact that we have so much in common. We all married American servicemen during World War II,” Harris said by telephone. “And we have a group that was started of children of war brides, too. Hopefully, they will carry on.”

Meier intends to do just that. She loves being a member of the association as one of the war babies, along with her older brother, Louis.

Meeting for the first time

The Villager noted it was Nov. 8, 1944, when her parents met. Sylvia Smith was enjoying tea with a girlfriend at a restaurant before going to the train station in Liverpool to meet her mother returning from a trip. Jack Harris was at the restaurant with one of his Army buddies. It was Jack’s 34th birthday.

“They started to talk,” Meier said of her parents. “And when my mom went to the train to meet my grandma, my dad followed her. When my grandmother got off the train, my mother said, ‘Hi Mummy! Hi Mummy!’ and my dad chimed in, ‘Hi Mummy! Hi Mummy!”

Meier smiles as she tells the rest of the story: “My grandmother said, ‘What happened when I was gone?’”

Meier believes it was love at first sight when her parents met.

“There was something there,” Harris said. “He was a wonderful person, and I always said, ‘When he was born, they broke the mold.’”

Making a lifelong commitment

The couple married six months after they met, and enjoyed a one-week honeymoon.

“Just as they checked out of the hotel,” Meier said, “they noticed a big celebration and heard the news: ‘All leaves are extended, the war is over!’”

Her mother conceived her first child during the honeymoon, and her father was shipped back to the United States alone. Sylvia Harris wasn’t allowed to travel with her husband because she was pregnant.

“My mother had to wait 11 months before she could join him,” Meier said. “She left everything and everybody she knew behind, traveled across the ocean with a brand-new baby.”

Reuniting

Jack Harris was in New York to greet his bride and his newborn son, Louis. From New York, they flew to Chicago, his family’s home.

“The entire (Harris) family was there to welcome my mother,” Meier said.

This was the first time her mother met her husband’s side of the family.

Meier remembers her mother became a U.S. citizen when she was a little girl.

Hearing sad stories

While attending one of the war brides’ reunions, the Villager said her eyes were opened to sad stories some war brides experienced after the war.

“What I never realized was how many women came over and found the guy wasn’t there, or was already married, and other sad things,” she said. “This was a surprise to me, because all of the war brides I knew had lived happily ever after.”

Sharing a unique experience

Meier believes war brides share a special bond with one another.

“My mom went to the very first reunion,” she said, recalling the event was hosted on the Queen Mary in Los Angeles in 1985. The World War II War Brides Association was formed after two women began writing a book about war brides, and a reunion was set for the women to be interviewed. Another reunion was hosted after the book was published.

Meier became involved in the national association during the 2004 reunion in Washington, D.C., soon after she and her husband, Bill, had moved to The Villages.

“The reunion coincided with the dedication of the World War II Memorial,” Meier said.

While she and her mother walked around the memorial, she noticed an anchor with Villages Network News covering the event.

“There was Larry Ell from VNN covering the dedication, and my mom chimed in, and he interviewed her,” Meier said. “That was a big deal for us, and it was a fun trip and a great, great weekend.”

Villagers interested in contacting Meier about forming a local group of World War II war brides and war babies may call her at 259-2235, or by e-mail at: paulameier@comcast.net.

Villagers interested in learning more about the national organization of war brides can visit geocities.com/us_warbrides/index.html.

Diane Reddy of Laguna, Calif., serves as president of the national group, and Villagers interested in joining may write to Erin Craig, P.O. Box 1812, El Centro, CA 92244-1812. Dues are $15 per year, payable each January.

Meier believes it is rather amusing to be considered one of the “babies” of the national organization of war brides.

“We ‘babies’ are grandparents,” she said.

Theresa Campbell is a senior features writer with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9260, or theresa.campbell@thevillagesmedia.com.