Samogitia Mea Patria

Beginning with an incident described in the historical novel The Crimson Blight, this true story of one family s flight from Stalin s homicidal terror is recounted in rich detail by the youngest member of that family. He recollects the evil aftermath of the first Soviet occupation of Lithuania followed by the German takeover, the imminent return of Stalin s armies and the family s escape to Germany. His story continues with life in Germany, which is facing defeat and destruction. The author experiences war s end firsthand and vividly describes his memories surrounding it. He narrates his family s settling into a Lithuanian DP camp in U.S.-occupied Bavaria and continues with tales of schooling, his Boy Scout activities, concerns about emigration and the ever-present uncertainty about their future.