Sixty-three years and an ocean separate them, but the English daughter of an American GI is finally going to meet her dad.
Heather Pearson was one of the tens of thousands of babies born to American soldiers serving overseas during World War II. Her mother was swept up in a whirlwind courtship with Private George Rish, married in March 1944 and became pregnant with Heather. Then Rish was called up to the front lines.
When the war ended, he called for his wife to join him in America, but passions had cooled. Heather's mom, Mary, decided to stay put in England. The couple divorced, and agreed not to contact each other again. You've got to hand it to them, they handled themselves with a lot more grace and decorum than Madonna and Guy. But what about their daughter?
Heather grew up with her mom, stepfather and a host of half-siblings. Her only link to her father was a faded black and white wedding photograph until an American cousin contacted her over the summer. The cousin, Dena, said her mother was George Rish's sister. Her mom had been looking for George's daughter for years, and when she died, Dena took up the cause. Rish, who is now 87, says he didn't have the resources to look for his daughter. Remarried after he returned from the war, he adopted a daughter with his second wife. Like Heather's mom, he made a new life.
Heather says she doesn't have any problems with that, never even really thought about her "real" dad until her own husband passed away. With her two children grown and parents themselves, she started to feel lonely. She made a few failed attempts at searching for her father on the internet, but came up short until Dena bridge the gap across the pond. She'll fly to the states next week to meet her dad. In the days leading up to the trip, she told the London Daily Mail she's both excited and overwhelmed.
It's one of those "wow, the wonders of the internet" stories, and one with a happy ending. Still, I'm a little sad for Heather. Her parents' dying flame kept her from ever knowing a part of herself. Joint custody battles are rough, but there's a reason they happen every day. Back in those days intercontinental flights were likely cost-prohibitive and overseas phone calls a rare treat, but couldn't some accommodation have been made for your child's sake? Was this simply the result of a different era, or another example of selfish parenting?
Image: Daily Mail
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