My son's mother and I were not on the best of terms when I left. When I arrived home in Alabama, I expected to hear from them. I know telephones were scarce in Germany in 1958, so I made more than an effort to contact my son's mother. I enlisted the help of anyone who would listen to me. Lot's of people would tell me "Oh Yes, I'll Be Glad To Help". Since we had no computers, my search tools were limited. I asked for help from a church in Germany, The Red Cross, people who had contacts in Germany. The search company's here were very expensive and not very reliable. As time went by I thought surely someone would contact me. The years went by quickly. I had a limited education, job's were scarce and life for me was not easy. Not knowing anything about my son was very depressing. After a marriage and two beautiful daughters I should be happy, but there was always a void in my life.

After all the years went by I still would ask anyone who might have any connections in Germany if they would help me. While reading the local newspaper I read an article of a new website called "Ask A Librarian". I emailed them about a group that would help the vets from Vietnam find their kids that were left behind. They answered with the website "SearchingForYou". This is where my life was recharged. I contacted Mary-Ann the very next day. After a few days of exchanging emails, Mary-Ann went to work. To start with, my son was born in 1958. This was now 2006, forty eight years later. I had my son's mothers first name and an incorrect spelling of her last name. No addresses or birth date of his mom. How could anyone with this little amount of information be able to help so many years later and so far away?

Well, Mary-Ann must have had an Angel guiding her. After a short time she had the name and address of my son who immigrated to the U.S. in 1960. She would come so close so many times, but then to only hit a brick wall, a dead end, but the search continued.
So many times I wanted to just give up. Thinking maybe it's just not meant to be. After several dead ends, I was beginning to give up on this venture again. Needing several items from the market one day I decided to ride my motorcycle to clear my head and shop at the same time . On the very street that I live, I passed a sign in front of a building that read "NEVER GIVE UP".














Somehow I knew that sign was meant for me. When I got back home, I emailed Mary-Ann and told her about the sign. We both agreed that we were not going to give up.

With new information from Mary-Ann, including the surname my son now carries, I called my son's mother on September 29, 2007. The first I had talked with her in 49 years!

After several conversations with my son's mother, Bill, my son, was told that his biological father wants to be a part of his life. It was very shaky in the beginning, as expected. However, today my son and I are having a great experience getting to know each other. We haven't met in person yet but we are letting things fall in place first. Then we are going to sit down and make up all the time we missed.

If you have a son or daughter somewhere out there, "NEVER GIVE UP". There's an angel waiting to reunite you. LOOK FOR YOUR SIGN.

                                    Harold Holley - Lakeland, Florida

 

 

 

I was nineteen years of age and a million miles from home. My son was born three days before I was shipped back the United States. He and his mother were still in the hospital when I boarded the U.S.S. George Randell and set sail for the U.S.