Article published in the Schenectady Union-Star Tuesday, April 7, 1953. 

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Rotterdam Soldier Gets Aid for Korean Orphans 

Some of the 274 Korean orphans of war "adopted" by a Rotterdam soldier will be enriched soon by shoes which two Schenectady youngsters have outgrown.

Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Harris, 1245 Libby Ave. told the Union-Star they have shoes and clothing which they thought "might do some good over in Korea."

As Harris put it:  "We have two children, one three years old and the other eighteen months.  They outgrow shoes about every six months, so we must have at least a box full of shoes which we can send."

The Harris' plan to mail the clothing to Pvt. Arthur J. Eifert, now serving in Korea.

Two weeks ago, the Union-Star published a letter from Eifert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Eifert, 504 Curry Rd, Rotterdam, in which he explained that he and several of his buddies have taken time out from their duties to act as "dads" to 274 Korean orphans. 

The waifs, all of who have lost their mothers and fathers in the almost three-year old Korean War, are quartered in a Seoul sanatorium and hospital. In his letter Eifert asked for basic food staples, clothing and materials.

A few days after the letter was published, Mrs. Gordon Mason, 206 Broad St., Scotia, asked for aid in mailing four packages of clothing which she and three other Scotia women had originally collected for Dutch flood relief.

Mrs. Mason told the Union-Star today that the four packages have been mailed, thanks to private donations from four Schenectadians, one of whom is an uncle of Eifert.  His donation was $10.

Mrs. Mason also received two $5 checks, as well as a $2 donation, and some shoes from Schenectady women.

"We had enough money to mail all four packages,"  Mrs. Mason said, "and enough left over to buy a case of dried milk, which has also been mailed."

Mrs. Mason added that she and the other women will continue with their sewing and repairing of clothing for the Korean orphans, and asked that others continue sending donations for the mailing of the packages.

 She said she has written Eifert a letter asking him to let her know when the packages arrive.  Copies of the letter will be sent to all donors, so they will know how their money has been spent.

Asks Food Gifts

Mrs. Dominick A. Cicchinelli, 137 Santa Fe St., who has written letters to several nationally known food companies asking them to donate, said she received a letter from a company which said they would be unable to send some of their products.

But the letter said that one of the company's managers would send a donation in his own name to Eifert, Mrs. Cicchinelli said.

Eifert has asked that all packages be sent to him but marked:"Orphanage" in the event he leaves his company before they arrive.

The address is: Pvt. Arthur J. Eifert, U.S.51125789, 326th Comm. Recon. Co., APO 301, c/o Postmaster, San Francisco, Calif.

Korea doc. 108