Terens and Swerlin in the 1940s
Both Terens and Swerlin grew up in New York City, though they wouldn’t meet each other until decades later, when they were both in their 90s. Terens grew up in the Bronx, while Swerlin called Brooklyn home.
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Though they both grew up in the same city, they had very different experiences when World War II began.
Terens’ Military Career
Terens enlisted in the military in 1942. Swerlin, meanwhile, was in high school during the war and often dated soldiers. They would all try to impress her by giving her dog tags and knives.
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After Terens enlisted, he was shipped to Great Britain in 1943 where he worked as a radio repair technician with a fighter squadron. Terens said all the original pilots he was assigned to work with during the war died in battle.
Terens During D-Day
On D-Day in 1944, Terens ensured that planes returning from France were repaired. Once he fixed them, they would then rejoin the battle in the country.
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However, he also explained that he lost half of his company’s pilots on D-Day. “I loved all those guys,” he said when talking about the pilots he lost during the war. “Young men. The average age was 26.”
Terens in France
Just 12 days later, Terens went to France himself. While there, he helped to transport captured German soldiers. He also transported freed American prisoners of war and took them back to England.
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During this time, he recognized a real difference between the two soldiers. He said that Germans were still happy, because they thought they would win the war. American POWs, meanwhile, were in a “stupor” because of the torture they had been put through.
Secret Missions
Throughout World War II, Terens was also tasked with undergoing secret missions. Often, he didn’t even know where he would end up until he wound up at the desired location. This left him in dangerous situations, sometimes.
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During one period when he was traveling for a secret mission, he ended up in Tehran where he was robbed. Terens was left naked in the desert — and was only saved when an American military man happened to pass by.
Working in Eastern Europe
His secret operation eventually led him to Ukraine, where he was tasked with feeding and treating American soldiers who were returning from bombing Axis targets.
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As these American bombers didn’t have enough fuel to make it back to Britain, they would instead fly to this covert location in Ukraine. Terens would then take care of them as they got their planes refueled.
Close Calls With Death
Throughout the war, Terens had a few notable times where he experienced close calls with death. In one instance, he contracted dysentery. This almost killed him.
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Another close call occurred when he was in Great Britain at a pub. He begged the barkeep for another round, even though he was closing. The man refused. Terens walked out of the pub — only for a German rocket to destroy the entire bar, just moments later.
Returning to the U.S.
After the war, Terens returned home to the U.S. and married his wife Thelma in 1948. They remained together for more than 70 years until her death in 2018.
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Swerlin, meanwhile, married her first husband when she was 21. She became a full-time mom before she became a widow when she was in her 40’s. She remarried her second husband and was with him for 18 years until he passed. She also had a partner for 25 years until he died in 2019.
Terens and Swerlin’s Meeting
Terens and Swerlin were introduced by Swerlin’s last partner’s daughter, Joanne Schoscheim. Schosheim met Terens after her children went to the same camp his grandchildren went to. The two became friends — and she thought to introduce Terens and Swerlin.
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“She gave my dad such joy,” Schosheim said when describing why she wanted Swerlin to meet Terens. “I didn’t want her to be lonely.”
Terens Wasn’t Interested at First
When Terens first met Swerlin, he wasn’t interested at all. After his wife’s death, he had no interest in women. Swerlin also admits that when they first met each other, nothing happened. It was not love at first sight.
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However, they met up again for dinner with a friend — and then the attraction began. Terens pursued Swerlin to date, and the two have been together ever since.
An Upcoming Marriage
“I love this girl,” Terens said when talking about his fiancee. “She is quite special.” After proposing to her a few months ago, Swerlin quickly said yes and was delighted by it.
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Now, they’ll marry in Carentan-les-Marais in a chapel from the 1600s, which is near the beaches where U.S. troops landed on D-Day. The town’s mayor, Jean-Pierre Lhonneur, will marry them — even though the town is only legally allowed to marry locals. However, Lhonneur believes the prosecutor will make an exception, as Normandy highly respects the U.S. because of their actions in World War II.