WWII connection brings Belgian to Valley
At age 8, William Gillet learned from an aunt who his father was.
YOUNGSTOWN — William Gillet of Belgium, the World War II offspring of an American GI, is coming to Youngstown this week to visit the grave of the man he believes is his father and — he hopes — to learn more about his roots.
Gillet, 62, believes his father was Gilbert Stephens, a World War II Army veteran from Youngstown, who served in Belgium.
Jeanine Beaujot of Philadelphia, a native of Belgium, is helping Gillet in his quest, which has taken many years.
Beaujot said she received information in 2002 from the National Archives and Records Administration that Gilbert Stephens served in the Army from Aug. 23, 1943, to May 11, 1947. According to NARA, Stephens entered the Army at Fort Hayes, Ohio, and was discharged from Fort Dix, N.J. He was assigned to various quartermaster units in the states and in Europe.
Beaujot, a World War II offspring who came to the United States in 1966 to find her father, has helped many others locate their fathers and American families. She said she left Belgium at age 20 to join a Belgian diplomat family to search for her father, who was originally from Philadelphia.
“In 2002, after 36 years of searching, I found my brother in Philadelphia. At the time, I lived in North Andover, Mass. One week later, I came to Philadelphia to meet my father and my siblings,” she said.
“The experience of meeting my father was something I never could imagine. When my sister picked me up at the hotel, he was in the car with her. When I first saw him, I thought it was a dream. I could not talk. It was a wonderful feeling. I knew then that I wanted to bring the same feeling to others like me,” Beaujot said.
Since then, in her spare time from her job and on weekends, Beaujot has searched for World War II veterans who were in Belgium between 1944 and 1946 and fathered war babies.
“The searches I do are free,” she said.
According to Beaujot, Stephens, while in Liege, Belgium, had a son, William Gillet.
She said she learned that Stephens wanted to bring William and his mother to the United States, but William’s maternal grandmother would not let her daughter leave home. A Belgian newspaper account said William’s mother was a widow with three other children.
At age 8, William learned from an aunt who his father was and was also told that his grandmother had intercepted letters and packages Stephens had sent to the baby and his mother via the Red Cross after he returned to Youngstown, Beaujot said.
Now, Gillet and his wife, Christine, are scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia on Wednesday and come to Youngstown on Saturday so he can pay his respects to his father, who is buried at Belmont Park Cemetery.
The Gillets have two children: a son, Bryan, and a daughter, Sophie.
This week, William Gillet hopes to meet members of his father’s family so he can learn about his roots and pass the information on to his children and grandchildren, Beaujot said. However, she said she has not been successful in establishing contact with members of Stephens’ family, but Gillet still is hopeful someone will contact him when he visits Youngstown.
Also, Gillet would like to hear from anyone in the area who knew Gilbert Stephens and could tell him something about his father. According to Stephens’ obituary, which was published in The Vindicator on Aug. 22, 1990, he worked in the galvanizing department at LTV Steel’s Campbell Works and was a member of Greater Friendship Baptist Church.
Anyone who has information for Gillet about his father can contact The Vindicator at alcorn@vindy.com or call (330) 747-1471, ext. 1303.
“William is very proud to have an American father, a GI who had to come to countries across the ocean to liberate us. He wears the colors with great pride. He rejoices with all of us when a family is located. We know that deep in his heart, he is hurting and hopes one day he will meet his American family.” Beaujot said.
alcorn@vindy.com
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