European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 18, 1958, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T h s t an d stripes of e Ai t u r s e o t i Ivanof family prepares for new adventure group that crashed Iron curtain in old taxi prepares to leave for new Home in the . By John m. Wright staff writer remember the Ivanovs the Bulgaria family of five who crashed their Wayto Freedom last april in a battered old Sedan that had seen better Days As a taxi cab for the last eight months they have been living As political refugees in Greece await ing the Day when they could Board a plane and make the final step in their dramatic bid for a new life. The time has come. Tomorrow they Are scheduled to climb aboard a transatlantic plane at Athens International Airport and spend thanksgiving in the . I chronologically there is not too much difference Between the Story of the family of Traiko Ivanof and the 600,000 other refugees who have been accepted into the . In the past 10 years. The family made its bid for Freedom sought political Asylum in Greece then was contacted by the Athens office of the .. Escapee program according to Earl Blake Cox chief of use in Greece. However the things that have made the Ivanovs Case different according to Cox Are the Long and determined efforts of the family to free themselves from behind the Iron curtain and the dramatic Means by which the family was Able to literally break through the final Barrier to Freedom the stars and stripes june 2, 1958  More than 10 years Ivanof had been determined to take his family to the West. First step was to request of the bulgarian government permission to move to Yugo Slavia to visit  this permission was forthcoming in april 1957 and the Ivanovs troika his wife Maria and his three sons Liouben 19 Damian 15, and 14-year-old Konstantine piled into their 1927 Chrysler and proceeded to the Yugo slav town of Vel Mertsi. Ivanof purchased two bags of Concrete spent his nights making protective slabs for the doors and Hood of the Vintage car. Next he located a Barrier smashing steel plate. Then with the Aid of his sons he constructed a crude Periscope. Seats were removed from the car the cant on Page Earl Blake Cox right chief of use in Greece hands Escapee program kits to the Ivanovs. Liouben Ivanof left helps father make a new table. Cooking in their bedroom Kitchen. The venerable , still wearing its Barrier Bush he steel plate u rolled to a Salonika garage. Tuesday november 18, 1958 the stars and stripes Page 11