Mr. Mayer’s family left Germany in 1936. The family spent several months in Belgium while his father attempted to obtain passage to the United States. They arrived in New York City in 1937, and after a few months they moved to St. Louis. Mr. Mayer graduated from Soldan High School in St. Louis, and then in 1944 he enlisted in the United States Army. He served in the Pacific Theater, and he was honorably discharged in 1949. The interview is especially rich with pre-war memories of his immediate and extended family.
Walter Mayer
Nationality: German
Location: Belgium • France • Germany • Korea • Luxembourg • Missouri • New York • Seoul • St. Louis • United States of America
Experience During Holocaust: Escaped the Holocaust • Family Died During the Holocaust • Was a Soldier
Listen to Walter's Oral History
A Brief Bio
Mapping Walter's Life
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“[As we were leaving Germany on the train to Luxembourg] I remember my dad opening the window on the train and taking his pass from World War I with all the battles he was in and threw it out the window. He had a box full of medals and he threw that out the window and said, 'We're never coming back. I don't need that stuff.' Threw it out the window, and then he cried.”
- Walter Mayer