A year ago my great grandma passed at the age 100. When people think of her, they might think of a little old Dutch lady that lived a full, long life. But when I think of her, I think of a hero. On May, 10, 1940, during WWII, the German forces invaded the Netherlands. No one ever thought that a little operator and her husband would be of any use, but they defied the odds. This is the journal that my great grandmother wrote about her time as an operator, disconnecting Nazi calls. She talks about her husband, (my great grandfather) fighting in the resistance and hiding with the Jews in their basement to avoid capture and to protect them. The only time he could come out is when he dressed up as a woman, and rode a bike around the house. Years later, her family immigrated to the U.S with their oldest daughter, who was my grandmother, and her siblings. At first, she did not want to write about the experience, but after some time she decided to share this incredible story. After she passed, she gave it to my grandmother in hopes of sharing her story, the Netherlands' story, and the story of the innocents that had to die to keep the world safe. A hero's story.

– Win

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant