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Interviewer
From New York, the refugees were sent to a former Army camp on the banks of Lake Ontario in Oswego, upstate New York, called Safe Haven. This is where I disembarked right here, and this is where I set foot towards my freedom, you might say. -
Interviewer
A small barrack hut was allocated to Ben's family. This is our home. - Oh my gosh, look at that. Yeah this our home. The first memory I have of the camp is snow. It snowed all the time. I don't think I've ever seen the sun there, really. Doesn't sound so nice. It was beautiful, honey. (laughing) I'm gonna tell you right now. It was beautiful. - Why? It was home, and it was safe, and the bottom line, it was America. That's the bottom line. -
Interviewer
In his first home, three year old Ben could finally laugh and play, with his first real friend, a little girl, who was also from Yugoslavia, who he called Seka. Seka was the only friend that I knew. This photograph illustrates how happy we were playin' together. Take a look at those smiles, for cryin' out loud! We'd run and hide in the snow. That's what I remember. All we knew is that we were safe, we were fed, and our family wasn't on the run, so there was a connection there. Yeah, the connection was there. -
Interviewer
Ben believes his friendship with Seka, changed his life, and shaped the man he grew up to be. That friendship showed me, that I could talk with people and not fear it. I've learned to be with people, and learned from people. Yeah, that's carried me all these years. I've done that my entire life. -
Interviewer
But their friendship came to an abrupt end. On December 22nd, 1945, President Truman signed an executive order, giving the refugees the right to stay in the United States. Ben and his family left the camp a few days later, and he has not seen Seka since. Did you say goodbye? Did you ever say goodbye? - No. I don't remember, I don't. But you know, at that time, as soon as you got the word that we had the opportunity to stay, I think everybody, I mean everybody started packing. That's why it always destroys me mentally, to think 70 years and more, come on. You haven't seen her in all this time? No, the only thing I've, is the picture. You know, my family and I, we talk every now and then, and I say, I wonder what happened to her. You think she made it okay? I hope she did. -
Interviewer
But Ben has never been able to find out. The refugees had scattered across America, and Ben suspects Seka, was a nickname. Now whether her name is Seka or some other name, I don't know if Seka is a nickname if you will, or maybe her real name is Sarah. I'm 77, she's gotta be in the same ballpark. How many years do you have left? You don't wanna miss the chance? Absolutely not, hell no, I don't wanna miss that chance. I wanna meet her, absolutely. This is person that I've known at that camp, my first friend in America. Give me a break, do I wanna meet her? Yeah, you better believe I wanna meet her.
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