Notes: Benjamin LEER - Adolf LEWITUS
[LEWITUS2.GED]
Walter Lenk was born Walter Löwi. He was in the Hachsharah, an
apprenticeship training program for emigrants to Palestine. He left
Vienna for New York a few weeks before his parents. He shipped his bags by
train from Vienna (and may have departed with them) on December 23, 1939.
He departed Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the S.S. Westernland
(Holland-America Line) for NY on January 20, 1940. He came to the US with
5 pieces of baggage: 1 trunk and 4 "cases," the total of which presumably
weighed 298 kg. His US visa is dated November 6, 1939. He was met at the
boat in New Jersey by HIAS (Hebrew Immigrants Aid Society).
Apparently Walters Aunt Mina and Uncle Heinrich Ginsberg had his stamp
collection in Switzerland -- based on a post card from Heinrich to Walter
soon after Walter's arrival in the U.S.
Walter was engaged to Julie Jagerman, who lived in Brooklyn, when he went
into the army. His parents visited with her and her parents while Walter was
in the service. The engagement was broken off, apprently after Walter's
return.
Walter served in the US Army during WWII. After the Normandy invasion
he was assigned to the south of France, where he served with the "Red Ball
Express", the truck outfit that supplied Patton's army. Inge believes he was
part of the maintenance department that kept the trucks rolling.
Walter was naturalized as a US citizen at the US Embassy in Paris in
December, 1944. He took the name Lenk at that time, at least partly out of
concern that he might be assigned to serve in Germany and be endangered
by his name if captured. [from his letters to his father]
SSN:
095-14-3697
Birth certificate: BHMa 2145 page 9 (Original birth date was 28?)
death certificate: BHMa 2145 Z page 8
age 66 at death
single in 1793 census
Death Certifictae: BHMa 2144 Zi Page 4 # 9 and
death certificate: BHMa 2145 Z page
1
Birth certificate: HBMa 2142 Ni Page 4 # 10 or HBMa 2145 page 22
Birth certificate: BHMa 2145 page 39