Varian Fry Accomplishments

In New York City, in the year 1907, Varian Fry, a future World War II hero to a numerous amount of people, was born. He would eventually become a journalist and an editor with a degree from Harvard. Later in his life Varian would travel to France to help well-known Europeans escape. These Europeans were either Jewish or had spoken out against the Nazis. The Nazis wished these people to be dead.Fry is said to even be “America’s Oskar Schindler.” Oskar Schindler was a Nazi that would later turn against his own party to help about 1,200 escape from the terrors destined for them. Like Oskar, Varian would risk his own life to help save the lives of more than 1,000 people. However, Varian Fry would not be recognized by his country, the United States,

He was sent to France on August 4, 1940 with $3,000 and a list of 200 people whom he was going to help escape before they were found by the Nazis. His intent was to be in the country for about a month then head back to America. When he got to France, he would soon find that he would be there for much longer than he expected. There were a numerous amount of people who needed to get out of France. Fry would help as many people as he could escape including Marc Chagall, Hannah Arendt, and Max Ernst. He ended up staying in France helping others flee this country for thirteen months. Although Varian Fry was questioned numerous times about helping people escape illegally, he never was caught. Because of the suspicions, he was eventually forced to go back to America by the French government. Varian Fry asked for the help of his country, but the United States refused. The country wanted to stay out of the war as much as possible. He returned to America in the fall of 1941. Varian Fry was honored by France by being the recipient of the Chevalier de Legion honor in 1967. Fry would die that same year in Easton, Connecticut. He was still not recognized for his work by the United