There were many heroes, who changed people’s lives for the better during the terrifying events of World War II. However, one person seems to stand out because of her great bravery and compassion. Lois Gunden was a courageous women who truly cared for the lives of children. She was the rescuer of multiple children from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Lois Gunden’s independence, and willingness to help children, regardless of their backgrounds, left an impact on so many lives, as well as the world. Lois Gunden had an interesting life before she made her contribution to help children in World War II. She was a French-American from Goshen, Indiana. She was born February twenty-third, 1915. In Goshen, Indiana, she was a teacher. She …show more content…
It was a safe haven for Spanish refugee children and Jewish kids. The Jewish children were smuggled from a nearby internment camp called, Riversaltes. This internment camp opened in 1938 and closed in 1970, according to anglophone-direct.com. It was meant to be a housing facility for troops, but it soon became a camp for refugees from the Spanish civil war, and undesirables such as Jews, and gypsies. Lois Gunden created a safe, welcoming environment for these children. She did everything in her power to keep the children safe. She even went out of her way to search the Riversaltes internment camp for any children that she could take in. There were multiple instances where she made excuses for them, and hid children from the authorities. She was caught by the Nazis, but the kids were safe, somewhere else. She ended up being detained by the Nazis in January 1943. However, she was released in a prisoner exchange the next year. After her release, according to Goshen.edu, she returned to Goshen and became a professor. She also became the first women to teach Sunday school at their Mennonite …show more content…
For example, Ginette Kalish was a girl who was rescued from the internment camp. She was twelve years old at the time, and was terrified of leaving. Lois Gunden created a safe, and welcoming environment. She ensured Ginette that she would be kept safe. Lois kept that promise. One of Lois Gunden’s journal entries revealed her feelings and thoughts as she was doing these courageous acts. It says, “When I heard of how they were finally snatched from the fate hanging over them, I felt as if god must have had a hand in preventing anyone from coming after them during these two days interrupted by calls and telegrams concerning them; had they been taken, efforts would have arrived to camp, likely all late for any good.” This shows that she really had a passion for letting the children flourish, and be safe. According to Goshen.edu, the Goshen college president, James E. Brenneman said “Lois’ courage, compassion, and her service are stirring examples to our college community and to the world that a single person of faith and humanity can make a huge
The Holocaust, a tragic time in history. Genocide committed by the hands of Adolf Hitler and his minions. A total death of around six million Jews. Some were lucky enough to escape to a life of freedom. Each survivor has its own unique story.
Clara Barton’s life, like that of many other female reformers, was filled with hardships, victories, and accomplishments. She was a patent clerk, a nurse, the founder of the American Red Cross Association, and a teacher. Her achievements in the past have greatly affected the present and the future. During the early stages of her life, she was influenced by events that would later decide her future.
When I watch superhero movies, I only think of male superheroes, as there are many of them. But then again, there are Wonder Woman, Cat Woman and Black Widow, who are heroes and are also women. All of these heroes exhibit the attribute of independence and courage. Argument 1 The attribute of independence can identify both men and women who are heroes.
As innocent children, we grow up with intentions of being just like our mommies and daddies. We dream that one day, we can wear the same powerful red cape, that we watch our parents wear with courage and bravery on a daily basis. Sadly, not every child is fortunate enough to have superheroes as parents; some children have villains as their mothers and fathers. When the walls of naivety begin to fade away and reality comes into play, certain children have to face the harsh reality that what should be their number one supporter(s) is actually their number one offender. In A Child Called It by David Pelzer, Pelzer learns how to survive abuse from his mother, and isolation from his entire family.
The introduction to Irene Gut Opdyke’s experiences before and during World War II left me speechless. It seems impossible to me that she experienced so much pain and suffering in a few short years. The observations, emotions, and reactions to Irene’s marvelous writing in part one of In My Hands have already begun to change how I view kindness and sacrifice. In My Hands begins with Irene’s harrowing tale of her curiosity almost leading to her drowning in the river near her house.
How would you feel if you were recruited as a soldier during war? Since 2001, the participation of child soldiers has been reported in 21 on-going or recent armed conflicts in almost every region of the world. The importance of this is portrayed in Ishmael Beah’s memoir A Long Way Gone. The author believes that innocent kids should not be selected to fight as soldiers, lose their innocence killing people, witnessing violent scenes and suffer because of war.
As humans, we tend to idolize people from all over the world for their remarkable qualities, bravery, actions, skills, leadership or ways of life. These people are often referred to as heroes, whether it is a leader, Superman, or a local community hero, they all share something in common, and it’s not a cape. What makes each of these people heroes? Their extraordinary character traits set them apart from their less noteworthy peers. While there is a myriad of traits that heroes possess, the most significant ones are their bravery, their willingness to ask for help, and their strength to always do what is honorable.
“If you can take it, you can make it. Keep on fighting!” This quote from Louis Zamperini states that you must fight until you reach success, and that you never should give up in what you believe in. From Louis Zamperini 's establishment of unassailable records to experiencing the harsh and horrible conditions of being stranded in the Pacific ocean for days, and becoming a prisoner in a Japanese territory is truly a remarkable story of his. Louis Silvie Zamperini was born in in January 1917 in Olean, New York.
Ruth Posner born in 1933 in Warsaw, Poland. She was only 12 years old when World War II began. She lost both her mother and father in a matter of days and was stuck in the middle of the Holocaust all alone. Before her father passed away, he had been making a plan to ensure the safety of his child. He made sure that her aunt whose two children had already been killed by Nazis would be there for her and be by her side until death.
Runner, prisoner of war camp survivor, and Olympic medalist are three attributes that describe Louis Zamperini. Many people know that Louis Zamperini was an Olympic medalist, but he was so much more. As a well known Olympic medalist, Louis Zamperini, showed Americans that they could get through anything if they just pushed themselves to the limit. He left a lasting legacy as a prisoner of war survivor. Louis’s life started during his childhood were he became a troublemaker and had many near death experiences.
Yellow Star is a 2006 biographical children 's novel by Jennifer Roy. Written in free verse, it describes life through the eyes of a young Jewish girl whose family was forced into the Łódź Ghetto in 1939 during World War II. Roy tells the story of her aunt Sylvia, who shared her childhood memories with Roy more than 50 years after the ghetto 's liberation. Roy added fictionalized dialogue, but did not alter the story. The book covers Sylvia 's life as she grows from four and a half to ten years old in the ghetto.
Women have had to fight their way into positions of power, and few have had the struggle and success of Clara Barton, “The Angel of the Battlefield”. She greatly impacted both America and Europe, and then went on to create life saving organizations still important to this day. After making a massive impact on the battlefields of the Civil War, Clara Barton changed the world by founding the American Red Cross even while struggling with deep personal issues and adversity towards women. Clara Barton was born Christmas day 1821 in North Oxford, a small town near Worcester, Massachusetts. She had high marks at local schools and was tutored by her older siblings.
Debi Mazar is an actress who stated, “A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tried to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really, deeply cares.” Heroes are relevant to everyone, because at some point, everyone has had a hero. Sadly, today’s society degrades the meaning of the word “hero”. Heroes are an important aspect of life, but famous people are not always heroes.
Children learn from a very young age that heroes are people with extraordinary courage who save others. Naming a hero would be an easy task for a child, but naming someone with moral courage provides a whole new and unique challenge for these children. A person with moral courage is selfless and puts their own life at risk in order to save others. They do not think of their own needs. Instead, they focus on how they can use their abilities to aid others.
Think of our society today and the role that women play in it. Women impact people’s lives every single day. In Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried, there were a couple of women who were brought up in the book, and it showed the enormous effect that the women’s presence had on the men during the war. Mary Anne and Linda were two girls who played huge roles, yet were not even the main characters. Their roles consisted mainly of altering the soldier's personalities and perspectives of life during this time.