The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-13
City Offers Home
ToForner Belgian Family
By E d. HITLER
C<aff CORRESPONDENT

Frank Ausustyn. Tabor City is
more than a prosperous town TUCK
cd in the southeast corner Oh Norm
Carolina.
To him and his wife and daugh-
ter. Tabor City means freedom
a freedom which the rest OF the
town, so long accustomed to IT,
takes for granted.
Their coming to Tabor City re-
suited from 8 friendship which pc
gan in Belgium shortly after the
Allied invasion Of the continent.
For many years. the Augustyns
maintained an i'm near Antwerp
When the Americans arrived. sew
eral officers took rooms in the Inn
Among the officers was S. j.
Potts. prominent Tabor City den
tiEt.
During his brief stay in Antwerp
DR.. Potts developed a lasting
friendship with the Augustyns'
FROM their conversations sprans
plans for the Augustyns to come
to America to make their home
"a soon as circumstances allowed.
Last fall the dreams spun IN a
small Belgian inn were realized.
The Augustyns arrived in Iaoor
City and have since MADE tnen
home there. Frank Augustyn, a
master Of delicate French pastry
creations, plans to open a snop
al soon as he can acquire equip
ment. Alice, the daughter, a skilled
coiffeur, practiced her art IN TABOR
City before departing this week 70
continue her work at the ocean
Forest hotel at Myrtle Beach.
Still vivid in the minds OF the
little Belgian family are memories
of life in their homeland during
the war. With a shudder, Madame
Augustyn recalls the nightly bomb.
ings of Antwerp by Allies and
Avis alike, the raid which struck
a factory and killed 5000 people
the roads crowded with refugees,
the misery Of Dunkirk, the decay
of the Belgium government.
During one period, the family
spent 10 days in the cellar OF theu
home to avoid the rain of bombs.
Food was utterly unattalnaDle;
What little there was cost a small
fortune through the black markets.
Because Frank Augustyn was
born in America and returned to
Belgium with his family when ne
was 10 years old, he was an Amer
can citizen. Nazi officers who con-
troled his town kept close watch
on him and he had to report MS
actions to them weekly.
The Augustyn faith in an Allied
victory never died. Even when
Belgium was under the Nazi heel,
Frank Augustyn told the German
officers, You will lose the war.
America is strong and rich. Ameri-
can will defeat you"
At first, the Germans laughed
at his bold prophesy. But the
day came when they heard his
words in bitter silence, when some
OF them nodded to the truth of his
remarks.
Even with the arrival of the
Allies, Belgium was sadly disor-
gained. Recovery was slow and
still incomplete. But the Augustus
we're fortunate when their inn was
selected as an American officers
billet.
The first day the officers ra-
tons arrived, Madame Augustyn
inspected the mountain of food
and asked, How long is this food
to last? Two months?"
"No," She was told. 1.-TWO days"
A brief prosperity descended
upon the Belgian town while the
Americans were there, but when
the war ended ana the Yanks de-
parted Belgium began its slow and
expensive reconversion. Times
were bad. One day the Augustyns
remembered the invitation of DR..
Potts to come to America. I'm
mediately they instigated arrange
ments and, weeks later, they left
Europe. Their government con-
fiscated most of their possessions
and they departed from their
homeland with little money.
But DR.. Potts remembered the
little family that had befriended
him. He took them into his home
until they were able to find a
place of their own. Even now,
the Augustyns speak of him as
their best friend.
Tabor City is a wonderful
place" says Madam Augustyn, her
Flemish accent still detachable in
the perfect English vocabulary
she has acquired since her arrival.
II prefer living in a small town.
Tabor City is somethink like my
home in Belgium. Only it is much
bigger and more beautiful"
So Tabor City has benefited
again because one of its citizens
carried with him wherever he went
the towns friendly spirit. And
not only will Tabor City be able
n day to beat the present OF
Frank Augustyn's gracious people.