My effort to piece together my first thirteen years was not easy: I did not keep a diary, my memory of my mother who died when I was twelve years old has largely faded, and I do not recall ever speaking to my father about his past or about our life together during this period. I have done the best I could through extensive research and discussions with persons familiar with the period I am covering. As a result, I have been able to put together a pretty good overview of my life during this period and of the events that marked those years. Although, as will become evident, questions remain unanswered. Writing about my early life has reawakened profound and sad emotions of long ago.