US Ambassador Don Beyer meets with Beatrice Mendel in Lugano (Dec 19, 2011)
Ambassador Beyer visits Beatrice Mendel
US Ambassador Don Beyer met with birthday girl Beatrice Mendel in Lugano last week. Ms. Mendel turned 100 years old on December 5. Her mother was Belgian, her father German, and she fled Europe when Hitler came to power, landing in the United States. There, Ms. Mendel first became an airplane pilot, and during the Second World War, she trained many fledgling US Army pilots.
Beatrice Mendel moved to Lugano three decades ago to care for her aging mother, but has never learned Italian. Instead, her French, Swiss-German, Hochdeutsch, and English have allowed her to thrive now into her second century of life. Her mind is clear, and she looks forward to an invitation to visit the US Embassy in Bern in 2012.