Memories of a prewar childhood in Lithuania – and an escape to the U.S.

This is the story of Vanda and her family. A story similar to what happened to many families that were affected by World War II's terrible events on Lithuanian soil, a story about innocent children who wanted a normal childhood in their beloved homeland, but instead were hit hard by the horrors of war and the terrible atrocities committed by the Hitler and Stalin regimes. Vanda and her parents managed to escape before Stalin's Red Army laid its iron grip over Lithuania in 1944. They came to Germany and later to the United States. Vanda's aunt had no such luck; she was deported to Siberia and starved to death because she shared her food rations with other deportees.

Vanda with her husband, Vytautas Sliupas, in June 2010.
They live in California.
Photo: Aage Myhre

KAUNAS 1938:

Vanda in 1938: “I remember being at the photographer’s and once walking in Kaunas on “Laisves Aleja” and eating the first sausage and a bun (something like a hotdog) on the street – which to me was a big treat.”

CHICAGO 1949:

Chicago became Vanda’s new home in 1949. Here a photo from the Grand
and Harlem intersection, appears to be Christmas Season.
>From NW Chicago history site.

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