Source: Radio New Zealand
John Court was an adult when he discovered his birth father was Don Asher, an American marine who had been stationed in Aotearoa during WWII.Rita Attwood
John’s story reflects that of thousands of children born to US servicemen who were stationed in the Pacific during WWIIRita Attwood
John Court describes a wonderful childhood with his adoptive parents Jack and Hilda Court. But there were times his US ancestry caught up with him. He was about to play a rugby game for the Auckland Māori side when a kuia poked him with her walking stick and pointed out his blue eyes.Rita Attwood
Jean Nikora, John Court’s birth mother, was raised in Hangatiki, in the King Country. John knew her as ‘Aunty Jean’ until he discovered her true identity in the 1980s. When he asked her about his birth father she said ‘Your history will come to you’.Rita Attwood
After Jean Nikora’s death, John Court was given a brocaded bag full of letters that Don had sent to Jean. The letters show the couple had kept in touch across the decades and that both very much wanted John in their lives.Rita Attwood
It would be years before John Court tracked down his US family, but when he did he was shocked to discover they had photographs of him as a child. One in particular, Don Asher kept in his wallet all his life. Rita Attwood
The discovery of the letters and the long-lost cassette – which John had never listened to – started podcast host Rita Attwood on her mission to unravel the mysteries of John’s birth. A story very dear to her heart, because John is Rita’s step-dad. Rita Attwood
Rita travelled to Ferndale, California to meet John Court’s US family, and find out what she could about Don Asher. Rita Attwood
Not long after the end of WWII and his return from New Zealand, Don Asher married Viola. He became a father to her daughter Geneva and together they would have Ron – John’s brother. But it now seems that throughout the years, Don kept up a correspondence with Jean. Rita Attwood
Ron became a police officer and worked his way through the ranks to become chief of police in Piedmont, California. His son Ron describes him as a man with an extraordinary sense of duty. “He would brood, but you never knew what it was about. So little else was going on in our family that it was undoubtedly something to do with that situation in New Zealand.” Rita Attwood
Geneva, who discovered Don and Jean’s correspondence when she was a young girl, says ‘I never knew why it had to be a secret’. Rita Attwood
Ron’s son, Adam, remembers John’s first visit to meet his American family and the worries around whether they would feel a connection Rita Attwood
But Ron says meeting John was like a circle had been closed. Rita Attwood
A big part of the podcast, for host Rita Attwood, was about helping John connect with his whakapapa. Something she always felt he was yearning for. Rita Attwood
So it was a big, full circle moment for John Court and his brother Ron Asher to visit Jean Nikora’s marae with Kaputuhi marae elder Pat Stafford. Rita Attwood
Follow and listen to John’s full story, it’s full of heartbreak, humour and haunting moments. Rita Attwood
Episode 1: The Forgotten Cassette can be heard here: [wk_audio]3b36ffc2-0ebe-4399-a459-425aca644631RNZ/ Jayne Joyce
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
