I wanted to see the “Big Apple,” New York City, but had no money to go there. I had no intentions to stay in the United States forever, either. I was lucky enough to get a job contract, I thought I’d stay for one year at the utmost. And what a beginning: a trip via the SS United States. I felt like a king!I had not eyes enough to see. How can I say how impressed I was by this grand ship and its service? How we were spoiled as passengers: music, dance, a library where late night, snacks were served.Most of hometown, Gerolstein, was destroyed by bombs during WWII – 85 percent. My immediate family survived, but was then homeless and had to flee. We ended up living in primitive shelter where each morning I received a bowl of wonderful, warm soup sponsored by the American Quakers. While we dug in empty potato fields looking for overlooked potatoes, and ate dandelion greens and boiled nettles, we were told that in the USA, they dumped shiploads of wheat into the ocean. My desire drew – that marvelous, wealthy land, I had to see it, no matter what!No one in my family knew I was to go to New York for a year; I did not want them to interfere with my plan. I waited to tell my parents until the night before I was to leave, and when I did, I asked that no one make a fuss or even go with me to the train. After all, I would be back in one year. Today, I’m shocked to think of this! My poor parents!One day during the crossing, the SS United States encountered bad weather. The crew installed red velvet ropes for the safety of the passengers. At mealtimes, the tables were nearly empty, only a few dared eat. I got terribly seasick, so the room steward brought me some dry bread. I can’t recall the names of any of the crew now, but I do remember how the table steward addressed even us young girls elegantly as “Madame” – wow!I had never sailed on a ship before, and until a German girl who travelled frequently informed me, I had no idea that I had to tip anyone! I was shocked, and worried that I did not have enough money for decent tips for the cabin steward and table steward. I took two envelopes and put 15 Deutsche Mark in each, and little letters saying thank you for all the wonderful service, and explaining that I had no more money to give! Then, I entered American soil with just 5 German marks in my pocket.The only valuable item I had with me in my cardboard suitcase was “Der ewige Brunnen,” [in English, “The Eternal Fountain”] a book of German poems. When I put my book of poems into my suitcase, I did not know that it would become my one and only consolation. Everything was strange to me, a country girl. The efficient elevators, people running busily this way and that way, and not looking at each other. I just looked and looked!Often people asked me questions that made me wonder, like whether there was toilet paper in Germany. Lots of questions about the war, of course. One morning in the office where I worked, one of my co-workers said to me, “You seem to be a nice girl, but you’re a German. You can’t do anything about your genes, they contain antisemitism.” I nearly fainted! I sat up nearly all night and to calm my soul, I read aloud all the wonderful German poems in my book written in our wonderful German language by our great German poets. It was not easy.After six months in New York City, I met my future husband, and in 1961, our daughter was born. I learned so much in the United States -- most of all, I learned to be grateful, and to express it. I think of what President Kennedy once said, too, “Don’t ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!” This formed and changed my life thereafter. To this day.My daughter surprised me recently with many books and information about “my ship” – the SS United States. I hope it will be restored. Everyone can jet anywhere, there’s nothing to it, but being at home on a wonderful ship like the SS United States, traveling several days in style, that is the best, “non plus ultra.”-- Wilma Herzog, neé Eis, who immigrated aboard the SS United States in 1958
Transmission 20: Debra Milgrim-Heath
I sailed from the NYC docks to Le Havre, France with my parents in April of 1962. They wanted to take me to see Europe in the springtime.Before she married my father, my mother was a stage actress by the name of Inez Rawlson and a part of the international jet set. My father was famous in his own right; he was the CEO of Emil Katz & Co., a renowned lace import/export company. Thanks to my dad’s company, my parents knew all the top dress designers, and many actors and models. My mom went to all the European fashion shows: Dior, Lanvin, Chanel, Ferragamo, Givenchy, Hermes, to name a few.One night we got an invitation to sit at the Commodore’s table. I saw the invitation before my parents, dressed myself in my fanciest clothes, and set off to the location on the invitation. My parents searched high and low for me before spotting the invitation and realizing I had gone without them!Each dinner felt like an occasion, with the getting dressed formally, the many courses of delicious food, and the flaming desserts.While we were in the English Channel, the ship hit rough water and tilted. I was in the Letter Writing Room when it happened – you could compose your correspondences there, it was stocked with writing supplies as well as photos of the ship – and held onto a decorative column for dear life!Although I only sailed on the SS United States once, my father was a longtime yearly passenger. The memory of that crossing with my parents will always be special in my heart.-- Debra Milgrim-Heath, former passenger
Transmission 19: Michael Pittner
I was awed by the sheer size of the SS United States when we boarded in Le Havre. I was a mere eleven-year-old lad, and an adventurous one, so the second we were aboard, my goal was to explore the ship from stem to stern. I would return to my parents to tell them where this was located and where that was to be found -- I was just bubbly with excitement. I was astonished that a ship could have a swimming pool. I remember distinctly it was filled with salt water, which I didn’t expect when I jumped in. Yuk to the taste, yay to the swimming.Another thing I loved to do was to lean into the breeze as the SS United States sped along. Shuffleboard? What an odd game, but, there it was. Something to do while racing across the Atlantic. The just-released Disney movie “Lady and the Tramp,” was shown, which was a huge deal to me, although at the time, I spoke zero English!I thought it was REALLY cool to be able to sleep in a bunk bed (never having seen one of those before). It was fun playing peek-a-boo with my parents who had the bunk below. I remember the extravagant meals, too -- coming from a war-torn country, the kinds and amount of food available was, I felt, only for kings and queens. We actually felt ashamed to eat those luscious meals.I remember, too, the celebration on the 4th of July, though I had no clue what the fuss was about. There were party hats, music, balloons, outstanding food, and lots of fun. I had no knowledge of a “4th of July,” so I honestly thought the crew and passengers were throwing a party to welcome my family to the USA!-- Michael Pittner, who emigrated from Germany aboard the SS United States in 1955 with his father Eugene, his mother Emma, his fifteen-year-old brother Winfried, and sixteen-year-old brother Norbert