"My father completed training at Croft on 21NOV1942 as “Pvt. Julius Samu, Co. A,29th Inf Tng Bn.”. He also obtained his certificate of naturalization in Spartanburg, South Carolina on 06NOV1942. He came to the USA in’38 from Romania to sing with the NBC orchestra. When his Visa expired ‘42 he was deported. The choice was to go back to Romania and a concentration camp or go to another country. Immigrants from eastern Europe were not accepted in many places, only Spain. He was given the opportunity to join the US Army as a path to citizenship. He changed his name to Giulio Gari and signed with the New York City Opera and a leading Tenor in 1945 and became a leading Tenor at the Metropolitan Opera from 1952 to 1963. He died in 1994 at the age of 84. (Please visit www.giuliogari.org)"

 

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