At about three years old, Charlotte Van Steenbergen was whisked away from the reality she had grown accustomed to. At the time the Pacific War was raging in the Dutch East Indies, later referred to as Indonesia. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dutch East Indies declared war on Japan, and shortly thereafter, the Japanese invaded and occupied the territory from 1942 to 1945.
Mrs. Van Steenbergen's father had already left to help the Dutch fight when soldiers invaded the home and forced the rest of her family into the Banjo Biroe Concentration Camp in Ambarawa. Within this hostile environment, Charlotte's mother took on the daunting task of protecting and raising her kids, one of whom was only six months old.
For three and a half years, the Van Steenbergens struggled daily. Charlotte recalled the lengths to which many people would go to get basic supplies, “My mom had to barter for all the comforts… including bedding, clothing, and toiletries.” She was only able to trade within the camp using the money and jewelry she had stowed away in the bodice of a small doll.
Throughout her time in Banjoe Biroe, Charlotte remained uncertain about the fate of her father, as did the rest of the Van Steenbergen family. They tried to hold onto some hope even after being told that he had died at sea. To keep their family connected, Charlotte’s mother would read the kids a bedtime story every night, and then would have her children kiss a small locket that housed a picture of her husband, their father.
Though Charlotte Van Steenbergen could recall much of the punishments and harsh treatment endured by those interned in the camp, she focused more on the positive and life-changing experiences during and after the war. Noting that her mother would regularly tell the children, “Tomorrow will be a better day. Tomorrow we might go home.” After three and a half painful years, Charlotte talks about the day the Allies, specifically the Americans, liberated her and her family, saying the reason was “because there is a code: the Americans will never leave anyone behind.”
After being liberated, the family was placed in the back of the Jeep and headed for Holland. Mrs. Van Steenbergen recalls her baby sister, who was now four years old, watching the other cars pass by when suddenly, “she saw this man and recognized him as her papa [from the] photograph, and yelled, ‘Papa!'” The jeep turned around, and Charlotte's little sister leapt into her Papa’s arms for the first time, marking the beginning of a true family reunion.
Having been reunited, the Van Steenbergens stayed in a house in Holland before Charlotte's father found a program that allowed displaced refugees to come to America. In 1957, the resilient family arrived by ship, sailing past the Statue of Liberty into New York. A symbolic moment that resonates with Charlotte to this day. From there, they took a train to Southern California.
To be admitted into the United States, at the time, immigrants had to have a sponsor who would provide financial support for five years. A church adopted the Van Steenbergens, in a sense, and bestowed upon them, not just a community but a fully furnished house, clothes, and a TV, among other items that the family now saw as luxury.
Since then, Charlotte has made it her mission to enjoy American life to the fullest and thank the veterans who saved her. Stating that “Not only did they rescue my parents, but if they hadn’t, you know, I wouldn't be here, my kids wouldn't be here. So it's a generational sacrifice that our military troops make for our country.” She continues to proclaim that living in America is a dream come true, and she will always be indebted to this sacrificial country. Later in life, Mrs. Van Steenbergen even went on to sponsor other families in need of assistance who were looking for a better place to call home. She professes that her “gratitude is forever, and it is based on what I received here in America.”
Charlotte discussed how she found forgiveness, saying that she was allowed by God to abhor the perpetration, but was commanded to love the perpetrator. When asked about what she would like to tell the younger generation, she said, “Become better, not bitter. Do not take things for granted; this is only temporary.” If you want to know more of Charlotte Van Steenbergen’s story, you can read her published memoir, Meisje: I Met God in Hell: A Young Girl's Journey to Forgiveness, where she recounts her journey, road to healing, and gratitude for America and its veterans.