Names Not Numbers

John Nanasi

Budapest, Hungary

Went To The US With The Red Cross

1937

John Nanasi

Budapest, Hungary

1937

John was born in 1937 in Budapest, Hungary. At the start of World War II, his parents were already in the United States and tried to bring John to them, but they were unsuccessful because the borders were closed. As a result, when the war began, John remained in Budapest with his grandparents, uncles, and a nephew who was only two years younger than him.

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In 1944, during the German occupation of Budapest, his grandparents faced hardship when their business partner took control of the family business, leaving them with nothing. However, they quickly recovered and were able to accumulate enough money to help many others escape from Budapest.

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John was connected with the Red Cross, which was saving children during the Holocaust through Geneva. Through this organization, he went on trips, and during one of them, a smuggler helped John and another child escape to Geneva, Switzerland.

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After spending a night in Geneva, John boarded a flight to La Guardia Airport in the United States. By the time he arrived, he was nine years old and did not recognize his parents. The first thing he said to them upon meeting was whether he could see their car, as there were no cars in Hungary during the war.

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Names Not Numbers

John Nanasi

John Nanasi

The End