William T Walraven

The Scarred Oak William T Walraven

This is the story of a young boy growing up in a small village located on the German border in southern Holland. He witnessed the start of WWII and all its cruelty. He was there when the Allied offensive came through his village. He also saw the horror of a defeated retreating German Army.



When he met the first American soldiers, he made himself a promise that when he grew up, he would go to America.



After some very troublesome young years while working in the coal mines and the loss of best friends, a very old oak tree changed his life forever. When he and young wife finally were ready to emigrate to the USA, they came to the conclusion that every country in western Europe had a quota for emigrating to the USA. The quota for Holland was filled for eight years.



The two decided to go to Canada instead. In 1958 they emigrated to Canada, and after five years and three months, they became Canadian citizens. In 1966 they emigrated to the USA, and in 1972 Eric finally fulfilled his promise to himself to become an American citizen. He traveled worldwide and lived through many experiences. It was truly an amazing word he lived in.