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Philip Pelletier

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Philip in 1945

Philip in 1945

Real Name: Philip (last name unknown at time of broadcast)
Case: Lost Friend
Location: Linz, Austria
Date: December 1945

Case[]

Details: The Dentai family is searching for an American soldier named Philip. They met him in 1945 after escaping from the ravages of World War II. At the time, they were living a hand-to-mouth existence in an abandoned boxcar in rural Austria. He offered them friendship when they had few friends, food when there was often hunger, and faith when despair seemed insurmountable. With his help, they survived their ordeal. They now live in the United States. They want to reunite with him so they can thank him for a Christmas that changed their lives.
In May 1945, as Adolf Hitler's Third Reich crumbled, refugees from Eastern Europe choked the highways and rural roads. Some were escaping the Nazis, others the vengeful Russian army. Twenty-seven-year-old Charles "Carl" Dentai had served in a demolition squad in the Hungarian Army during the war. He and his family fled from Budapest, Hungary, one step away from the guns of the Russians. According to him, the Russians were just a few miles behind them. He had only one thing in mind: getting his family out of there. It was strange for them to leave their native country. But they, along with thousands of other families, had no choice but to leave everything behind and flee.
After their perilous journey, the Dentais and other refugees found temporary sanctuary in Linz, Austria, which the Americans occupied. As the fall turned to an extremely frigid winter, the Dentais were forced to live in a boxcar at a refugee camp. Despite their hardship, Carl and his wife, Terezia, managed to survive and provide a shelter for their five-year-old daughter, Brigitta. As winter approached, they struggled to obtain food. They had no clothing or other place to stay. According to Carl, despite their struggles, his family never complained.
A few days before Christmas in 1945, an American soldier named Philip met Brigitta at her American-run school. Later that day, he went to meet Carl and Terezia. Somehow managing to surmount the language barrier, he asked if Brigitta could come as his guest to a Christmas party given for the refugee children by the American occupation force. Carl and Terezia eagerly said yes. Terezia made a party outfit for Brigitta out of material Carl scavenged. He was excited for her to go to the party, as she had never been to one before. Along with having little food, she had not had candy or sugar in almost a year. It was a big thing for him and Terezia, knowing how happy Brigitta would be.
Although decades have passed since that night, Brigitta remembers it as if it were yesterday. Philip picked her up in an Army Jeep. He looked very handsome, like "Prince Charming." He had a shiny U.S. button on his lapel. Along with making her feel safe and happy, he made her feel special and like a "big girl." When they arrived at the party, she felt like a princess. It was as if someone had opened a magic door for her into another world. There were lights, music, fancy food, and a happy atmosphere. She had never seen anything like it before. She felt as though she was in a dream, one she never wanted to end.
When Philip brought Brigitta back from the party, he and the Dentais celebrated the holiday together. He brought them presents and drinks. When Brigitta opened her present, Carl and Terezia were happy to see her so happy. They were also glad they had met someone who had given them a nice Christmas. It was the first time they had had a good Christmas since the war started. It was a night they would never forget.
That evening, Philip and the Dentais discovered that, even though they did not share a language, they shared a friendship. Despite their difficulties communicating, Carl remembers that Philip was so friendly to them. They laughed and had a great time together. He brought a big change to their lives. He gave them back happiness and a lot of confidence in the human race.
Carl did not think Philip would come back to the refugee camp after that night. But he did come back. He became a real-life Santa Claus to the refugees. He gave the children candy and their parents food, clothing, blankets, and other necessities that helped them endure the many hardships of life without a homeland. He visited the Dentais at least twice a week, having dinner with them and playing chess with Carl. For Carl, Philip was the "sunshine" that kept his heart from despair.
Over the next five months, a deep and caring friendship grew between Philip and the Dentais. But one afternoon, it came to an end. He told them his troop was being transferred to Paris, France, and would soon return to the United States. He was sorry he had to leave. He gave them an army bag full of food and clothing. He also gave them his photograph and address, hoping that they would find him again. Later that day, the Dentais went to the train station to say goodbye, but the train had already left. Carl felt like they had lost a member of the family. He wondered if he would ever see Philip again.
Over the next eleven years, the Dentais faced struggle and hardship. After living in the boxcar for two years, they ran from one country to the next. They spent months in railroad stations, sleeping in trains and on benches. At one point, Carl was arrested for trying to smuggle his family into Belgium. He spent three weeks in a German prison. He then worked for years as a laborer in logging camps and coal mines before he was able to move his family to Belgium. Finally, in 1957, he found a family in Detroit, Michigan, who was willing to sponsor him and his family's immigration to the United States.
Sadly, Terezia developed a heart condition and died in August 1959, just two years after the Dentais arrived in the United States. Carl later remarried and had five more children. Today, he owns and runs a motel in Cheboygan, Michigan. Brigitta lives in nearby Whitehall, Michigan. Unfortunately, during their flight across Europe, they lost most of their possessions, including Philip's full name and address. All they have to remember him by is his photograph.
Based on the appearance of Philip's uniform, military experts believe he was a private. He told the Dentais that he was from Maine. These may be important clues as to his whereabouts. For years, Carl has placed advertisements in newspapers to find Philip, to no avail. Carl and Brigitta hope to reunite with their "guardian angel." They have not forgotten his generosity and want to give him the thanks he so richly deserves.
Extra Notes:

  • This case first aired on the December 21, 1988 episode. It was updated on the February 1, 1989 episode.
  • It was submitted to the show by Carl.
  • Some sources spell Brigitta's name as "Bridget," Terezia's name as "Terez," and their last name as "Dejczo," and state: they took a train to Austria; Carl's widowed mother was with them on their journey; and Philip was transferred two months after he met the Dentais.

Results: Solved. Within an hour of the broadcast, Pauline Doftie of Augusta, Maine, called the telecenter to say that she recognized Philip as her cousin, sixty-three-year-old Philippe Alphonse Pelletier. Philippe's sister, Cecile, of Hartford, Connecticut, was also watching and called the telecenter. She then called Philippe and told him about the Dentais' search. He then called the telecenter as well.
Philippe was nineteen and part of the 89th Infantry Division's Signal Corps when he met the Dentais. After the war, he returned to Lewiston, Maine. He later moved to the Chicago area, married, and had five children. He worked as a bus driver and a postal worker and formed a carpentry business with his brother. He moved to Hammond, Indiana, in 1978 and has since retired.
Arrangements were soon made for a reunion between Philippe and the Dentais. One week after the broadcast, on Wednesday, December 28, 1988, Carl and Brigitta's thirty-year search for Philippe came to an emotional end when they were reunited with him, his wife Lucille, and other family members at his home. Although it was hard for him to remember everything they went through together, he recalled that Brigitta was a "beautiful child" and that he had taken a liking to her and her family. He remembered bringing them food and other items.
Philippe had often thought of the Dentais and wondered what happened to them. However, he figured there would be no way for him to find them. He was excited to see them after all that time apart. Carl was overjoyed to see him after so many years, especially since they were not sure if they would ever see him again. He felt like it was a dream come true. The minute Brigitta saw him, she could see the warmth and the happy look on his face. She felt as if they had never lost touch. She also felt his family was warm and friendly like him.
Carl, Brigitta, and Philippe spent the afternoon looking through photographs that brought back memories of the special time they had spent together. They planned to stay in touch, visit each other as often as possible, and rekindle the friendship they had shared before.
In 1990, Carl wrote a book about his experiences during World War II and his immigration to the United States. Sadly, on September 3, 2000, he died in a car accident at eighty-one. On November 17, 2001, Philippe died at seventy-six. On December 11, 2004, Brigitta died at sixty-five.
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