Olga Annitta Johnson

Hitler took over... we were in Sudetenland and Egerlann. At that time it was Bohemia. Hitler took over in 1938. He overran us in Poland and made it halfway into Ukraine in only 18 days. I was ten years and made it halfway into the Ukraine in only18 days. I was ten years old. We were occupied by the Nazis during World War II, and finally, the war ended in our city. At that time it was called Faulkenow...The Russians and the Americans came together during that victory. The UN gave us some food. All at once, the Americans withdrew. We felt that we had been sold out because the Russians then took over. That was in 1945. In 1946, we were thrown out of our homes. We could only take 60 pounds. We were put on trains and did not know where we were going. We ended up in East Germany which was occupied by the Russians. They put us in camps. There were many people in just one room. They put my Mom and Dad out on a farm doing hard labor. But they found out later on that my Dad knew something about machinery so they put is in a small city. He worked there for the place where they demolished the machineries and sent the parts to Russia, and men were put on those trains. Many times we didn't see those people anymore. I was working in a little store. You could not lock those doors. If the Russian soldiers wanted to come in and molest you, that was their deal. So i was working there. As I came down that morning, the lady said, "The Russian soldiers were looking for that blonde girl". I knew exactly what they meant. I went home and packed a little bag. My dad didn't go to work that morning. He took me on the train to the border. I waited until that evening. I walked along the railroad tracks. they were all bombed out. There was a chance that I would be shot. But the Russians would not let me live either. So I kept walking and made it over and ended up in the English zone. They put me in jail and wanted to send me back as I kept saying, "I am not German. I came from Czechoslovakia" (which was Bohemia at that time). The little American soldier heard me say that and asked me, "You are not German?" i said no. He replied, "Ask to go to the American Consulate" and that is what I did. They took me to another jail because the major was gone for the weekend. When he returned Monday, I told him my story. I said "I have other family members who may not have been able to get to West Germany". He said not to worry, We will take you down to your family. He called the Red Cross and they took care of me and took me down to my family. he told me if you ever need anything, you go directly to the American Consulate. Never, ever would I dream that I would someday come to the United States (tears and sobs).

After that, i worked as a buyer in a department store in West Germany. I could not write to my parents that I was safe because they would take my letters. I didn't know this but my father got a warning. one of the men told my father, If you come to work tomorrow morning, you will not come home. You will be transported to Russia. So my father took my mother and my sister and they all walked the same way to get over to the American zone. I went to the American Consulate. They provided us with a beautiful place to live. They got a job for my father.

I look back on all that today and I can't believe it. I'm in America and I am very thankful...I thank the Lord for guiding me through all that time. Thank you.