Gerald was born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany. His father worked in the textile business. Gerald was the eldest of two children; he had a younger sister. He attended public school until 1936, when he and other Jewish children were forced to leave public schools. In December 1938, Gerald’s family moved to London, England. They lived in London for approximately one month, as they waited for their visa numbers to be announced. In February 1939, Gerald and his family emigrated to the United States. Gerald was only fourteen. They moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and several years later moved once again to New London, Connecticut. Gerald’s mother spoke English well and taught piano lessons. After finishing high school Gerald joined the U.S. Army. He spent one year in the infantry and one year in the Office of Strategic Services. After serving in the Army, Gerald went back to school and in 1950 graduated from Yale University.
Gerald Liebenau, an American Jewish soldier born in Germany, poses on a troop ship on his way back to the United States. —US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of Gerald Liebenau.
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