Has it been 4 years since my last entry? Lots of changes in regard to our own careers, life path, and roles in life as well as others. For starters, the war has ended! The Japanese has surrendered at the beginning of this month after the atomic bomb a month ago. The German have already surrendered in early May of this year thanks to the invasion at the beaches of Normandy. At last, the world is at peace and I believe things will get better and life has gotten better for us…

After Danny’s incident in March, he had to go through different procedures to replace the fractured shoulder blade, repair the rotary cuff, and physical therapy to get back in motion. Once his leave was over, his sergeant accepted his request of changing his MOS to military surgeon. His skills were very useful for both military and civilian treatments, which is no surprise that he worked his way up quickly. Fortunately for both Danny and I, we moved away from Pearl Harbor, we both needed a better view for sore eyes after seeing barbed wire everyday. Plus, our request to move was accepted too and stationed in San Diego CA. We moved in June 1942 and found a 2 bedroom house close to beach. I never thought I’d say this: I miss the beach and the ocean waves.

One of the commanding officers recommended a job relating to my degree in history: working for the FBI as a clerk as well as a spy. One day while filing important documents, a dusty old file dropped to the floor. After putting on some gloves for safety measures, I cleaned the dust off to see that it’s a small notebook engraved with ERS with cross swords. I asked the filing director about this book, that by the engravings look like a diary, and whether he knew about it. Unfortunately not, it has been in the vaults for some time that the history behind it was lost. It makes sense because the book has a binding around it. After the director put me to work on writing this out, I found out more about the contents in this book.

It belongs to a young woman named Elizabeth Charlotte Ryder. She was the daughter of a colonial colonel, Thomas Ryder, and her husband, James Stewart, was once a redcoat but turned towards the rebel cause during the American Revolution. She was one of the leaders for The Daughters of Liberty and dressed up as a man to fight alongside other men in battle, including her soon to be husband. After the revolution, she and Lieutenant Stewart got married, and moved towards the Northwest Territory, in an area now known as the Great Lakes. She took up arms once again during the War of 1805. It was then, she made a manifesto of a women’s league who could fight against the darkest of evils, even themselves have fought a dark past. It was based on an old tale a stewardess told her about a feline who was attacked, scarring half of her face but became the greatest leader in her clan. Her name was Brightstar.

So, I typed it all down, copy it in a mimeograph into two to three copies: one for me to share with my children one day, one for the government, one copy along with the diary to the Smithsonian. I believe this manuscript is going to be very important one day when women can be as inferior as men, not just me or Elizabeth Ryder fighting those rules.

With the success in supporting our country during the war, we find victory in supporting one another. Within the summer that we moved to San Diego, he proposed to me during a visit to South Haven, and I said yes. We thought about getting married in a church, but due to many war couples getting married in churches, we decided to elope on the same dock as to where Danny proposed within a month. A year later, I gave birth to twins. Yes, TWINS! A boy and a girl. Our son’s name is Emilio Jackson and our daughter’s name is Emily Rose. They’re named after their paternal great-grandparents: Emily McCain and Emilio Bernardi; as well my parents: Jack and Rose Dawson. Emilio is alot like me: outgoing, curly fiery red hair, blue eyes, and a natural leader. Emily is alot like Danny: dark shaggy hair and brown eyes, reserved and a follower and sometimes, a leader. In both of the twins, they’re affectionate and fearless. After the war was over, we decided to move back to Michigan and into the McCain family estate. At the end of 1942, Mirabelle sadly passed away; Tony said she was sick for a while and didn’t want to tell us. Per a promise made to their mother, Tony and Teddy temporarily kept the estate, upgrade it and when the war is over, gave us the keys and went on with their lives.

Speaking of children, when the Chlebecks got orders to move to California, they decided to try again to start a family. Evelyn mentioned that they tried when they got married but to no success. Unfortunately, it was the same story. They went to a fertility doctor to see what may be the cause of it, it turns out both Johnny and Evelyn are infertile, conditions unknown. After V-E Day in Europe, Johnny’s auntie from Poland, whom he kept in touch over the years, mentioned about the millions of children orphaned during the war and needed homes or seek refuge elsewhere. During the one week Johnny has off, they traveled to England to adopt. They first started looking at orphanages and find themselves in a Catholic orphanage for girls. There, they met a young little girl, almost a carbon copy of the Princess Elizabeth: light brown hair with a curl at the bottom and pale blue eyes. She was taken in by the nuns when her home was bombed during the blitz and no parents were found. But she was found wearing a locket, inside is the picture of the Virgin Mary on one side and the other engraved May 18, 1940. They suggested her name to be Mary and the date was her birthday. When the couple adopted her, she was 5 years old.

Then they went to the countryside to a refuge place for children liberated from the concentration camps and brought Mary with them to see which child she’s drawn to. She saw a little boy away from the crowd and went straight up to him and introduced to him by showing her the photo of the Virgin Mary, knowing that English is not his language. At first, he called her Mariam, and quickly learned his first English word: Mary. Evelyn and Johnny quickly learned that Mary is gracious, kind, and willing to give a helping hand. The boy introduced himself as Jacob (in Polish, it’s spelled Jakub) and has almost the same features as Johnny from when he was a child but with curly hair. Jacob was just released from the hospital due to malnutrition and other conditions. He is around the same age as Mary, around 4-5 years old, born in the ghettos of Warsaw and raised in Auschwitz.

Before enrolling them into school the following school year, the couple assisted the children in acclimating to a new country. For Jacob, he’s lucky to have Johnny teach him English by connecting Polish words to English words. Jacob is filled with the Holy Spirit despite everything he’s gone through and like Mary, he’s always willing to help and is gracious. The same month that my family moved back to the midwest, they moved close so that the kids would be friends and look after each other. And I’ll admit, the twins have fancied the children and I’m not ready for that yet.

Mom and dad have been the best grandparents to the twins. Whenever Danny and I decided to have the night to ourselves, they were entertained by the lake of whatever my parents decide what activity to do, whether it’s fishing or helping around the house or even telling stories about their youth. With them being in their 50s, they still have the energy to catch up with these little nuggets.

There are many things I’ve learned in the first third of my life. First, life is hard, it’ll knock you down when least expected. But you have to get up one way or another. Second, family is important, whether by blood or you chose them. Third, it’s ok to afraid, we’re not as fearless or as perfect as the Almighty. It’s how to overcome the fears that makes us stronger. Fourth, days are numbered, hours are precious, spend it with the ones you love and take advantage of everything before time runs out. Lastly, never be afraid of being true to yourself, whether you are for or against societal norms. People may look up to you as an inspiration.

I am the daughter of two Titanic survivors. I survived the Influenza and Pearl Harbor. I am an unsung war hero. I am wife, a mother, a protector, a warrior, a fighter. I am…

Ellisa Jacklynn Dawson