In this letter, 13 Yugoslav refugees who were leaving the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter and returning to Europe expressed their gratitude for the “heart-felt hospitality” during their time at the Fort and their desire to remain “friends” with the American people.
In August 1944, during World War II, 982 European refugees had arrived at an Emergency Refugee Shelter at Ft. Ontario, near Oswego, New York. They entered the United States outside of immigration quotas with the status of temporary “guests.” They were not permitted to leave the camp during their stay, and were required to return to their home countries or another location after the war.
