Helga Freeman McNair photographs

Helga Freeman McNair (1915-1997) was born on 1 October 1915 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She went on to attend Vassar College and graduated with a degree in art history in 1938. After graduation, Helga and a friend volunteered to serve with the Red Cross in Europe. Helga's first deployment was to England where she experienced the VI-VII rocket attacks. Later Helga was appointed to work in the canteen that served Patton’s 3rd Army. While with the Red Cross Helga participated in and photographed relief work that followed the advance of Allied forces, including at Buchenwald following liberation. After the war Helga traveled between the United States and Europe for several years. Later Helga married H. Harvey McNair who was himself a veteran of WWII. The couple settled in Minnesota and raised a family.