Duro and Erika Gravonic and Family

Our mother the Heroine

The date was March 14, 1952 and we're somewhere in West Germany. It's been four months since we last saw our dad, Duro Sr. It was a cold, damp morning. We were all huddling together at the Displaced Person's Camp trying to keep warm. Our family and others, all waiting for the Red Cross Refugee truck to pick us up. We were nervous and anxious. My sister Bridgette, aged eight, my brother Duro, jr., aged four, Erika, our mother, aged 26, and me aged six. Once on board the truck, Mom said, "Let's all hold hands and we did." Then Mom's eyes lit up and her face broke into a broad smile that traveled from ear to ear. She whispered, "Let me tell you about a magical voyage we are about to go on." Just as she finished her story to us, we arrived at the shipyard. What we saw before us was a gigantic, magical ship. For the next two weeks, Mom was seasick and she looked tired. The doctor said she needed some rest, but that didn't stop her from keeping a watchful eye on all of us.

On March 31, 1952 at 0630 hours on board the M/V Skaubryn we arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia into the magical land called "CANADA".