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 "Hello, Mrs. Brusselmans? This is Ronald Reagan."

         Yvonne Daley-Brusselmans, author of "Belgium Rendez-Vous 127 Revisited," a book which is about her mother, Anne Brusselmans who worked for the Belgium underground during WWII. It's a fascinating true story of intrigue and courage. Anne Brusselman, who also spoke fluent German, secretly worked with the Belgium Underground, and in great danger of her and her families lives, saved over 127 American and English airmen who were shot down over Belgium in WWII. (In later years, Anne referred to them as her boys.)
          This lady has since been honored many times on the world stage for her bravery and sacrifice, but in later life while she was visiting her daughter in Clearwater, Florida, she became gravely ill. About the same time, her visa expired, and she was ordered to leave the United States.
          This is when one of Anne Brusselmans' "boys" came to her rescue. Ronald Pearce's son-in-law and a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, wrote the following article on January 2,1987:                                

She Saved Yanks, but was Left Stranded
  When America needed Anne Brusselmans, she was there. Now, in her hour of need, America has turned its back on her. Anne Brusselmans helped save more than 200 U.S. and Allied fliers during World War II. She helped run the "Comet Escape Line," an underground railroad that spirited pilots downed in German-occupied Belgium back to England...Mrs. Brusselmans didn't hesitate when a local priest asked her to hide Allied fliers from the Germans...Where is America now?

     On January 6, Yvonne Busselmans was asked to keep her telephone line  free to receive a call from the White House. She had no idea that President Reagan had seen the article while traveling on Air Force One, on his return from California.
     "I cannot recall Mother's exact words of the conversation, but the following is more or less what transpired:"
      "Anne Busselmans, this is Ronald Reagan. You gave your home to our boys during World War II. It is only fair that you should have a home here in the United States; and I will now see to it..." And he did.
    
 Yvonne said, "Our dream of having Mother live with us legally in the States had finally come true."

                                                                                     #

Anne Busselsmans died several years ago, but daughter, Yvonne, and author of the book, "Belgium Rendez-Vous 127 Revisited" still lives in Dunedin, Florida.