 Ludovic Brecher was born on March 26, 1908 in the Austro-Hungarian village of Újradna, Beszterce-Naszód County, now Șanț, Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania.He became known as Louis Dolivet upon arriving in New York on January 6, 1939.Dolivet claimed to have fought for the French Air Force against the Nazis, before escaping to Manhattan sometime either just before or after the Fall of France in June 1940.