8/18/2019 SPAIN IN OUR HEARTS: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

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SPAIN IN OUR HEARTS: Americans inthe Spanish Civil War, 19!"199

#$ A%am H&chschil%

Prologue: Far from Home

Daybreak, April 4, 1938. Shiverig, e!hau"#e$, a$ ake$, #%obe$raggle$ "%immer" &limb ou# of #he free'ig %a#er a$o#o #he bak of Spai(" )bro *iver, %hi&h i" "%olle %i#hmel#e$ "o% from #he Pyreee". +o#h me are Ameri&a".

 he &ou#ry i" i -ame". For early #%o year", #he fraiou"bu# $emo&ra#i&ally elee$ goverme# of #he Spai"h*epubli& ha" bee $efe$ig i#"elf agai"# a mili#ary upri"igle$ by Fra&i"&o Fra&o a$ ba&ke$ by a'i /ermay a$Fa"&i"# 0#aly. Fra&o, %ho ha" give him"elf #he #i#le of /eerali""imo, ha" a frame$ pho#ograph of A$olf Hi#ler o hi"$e"k a$ ha" "poke of /ermay a" a mo$el %hi&h %e %illal%ay" keep before u".2 he "kie" above #he )bro #hi" $a%are $ark %i#h %arplae", "#a#eof#hear# gh#er" a$bomber", -o% by /erma pilo#", #ha# #he F5hrer ha" "e# #he

/eerali""imo. 6 #he grou$, #ak" a$ "ol$ier" from 0#aly,"ome of #he early 87,777 #roop" #he $ia#or +ei#o u""olii%ill loa Fra&o, have helpe$ lau&h #he grea#e"# oe"ive of #he %ar. A po%erful $rive from #he %e"#er #%o #hir$" of #he&ou#ry, %hi&h Fra&o &o#rol", i#" goal i" #o rea&h #hee$i#erraea, "pli##ig #he remaiig #erri#ory of #he Spai"hrepubli& i #%o.

Fra&o(" prologe$ ba##le for po%er i" #he er&e"# &o-i i)urope "i&e #he Fir"# orl$ ar, marke$ by a vi$iive

"avagery o# "ee eve #he. Hi" for&e" have bombe$ &i#ie"i#o rubble, #or#ure$ poli#i&al oppoe#", mur$ere$ people forbelogig #o labor uio", ma&hiegue$ ho"pi#al %ar$" fullof %ou$e$, bra$e$ *epubli&a %ome o #heir brea"#" %i#h#he emblem of hi" moveme#, a$ &arrie$ ou# $ea#h"e#e&e" %i#h #he garro#e, a me$ieval iro &ollar u"e$ #o"#ragle i#" viim.

+a##ere$ by #he e% oe"ive, #he *epubli&(" "ol$ier" are

8/18/2019 SPAIN IN OUR HEARTS: Americans in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939

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re#rea#ig &hao#i&ally, "#reamig ea"#%ar$ before Fra&o("#roop", #ak", a$ bomber". 0 "ome pla&e", hi" rapi$lya$va&ig ui#" have leapfrogge$ ahea$. he republi&afor&e" i&lu$e #hou"a$" of volu#eer" from o#her &ou#rie",may of #hem Ameri&a". Some have alrea$y bee kille$.Fra&o ha" ;u"# aou&e$ #ha# ay foreig volu#eer" #akepri"oer %ill be "ho#.

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alog, #oo bea# #o &are. . . . Su$$ely a &ar $rove up, "#oppe$a$ ou# "#eppe$ #%o me. obo$y ever looke$ be##er #o me iall my life. . . . e hugge$ oe ao#her.2

i #he bla&k #%o"ea#er a#for$ roa$"#er are a New York Times &orre"po$e#, Herber# . a##he%", a$ )re"#Hemig%ay, %ho i" &overig #he %ar for #he or#h Ameri&ae%"paper Allia&e. he %ri#er" gave u" #he goo$ e%" of #he may frie$" %ho %ere "afe,2 /a#e" %ro#e, a$ %e #ol$#hem #he ba$ e%" of "ome %ho %ere o#.2 Hemig%ay a$a##he%" ha$ of#e repor#e$ o #he Ameri&a volu#eer" iSpai a$ ke% "ome of #hem %ell. ay are o% mi""ig,i&lu$ig a;or *ober# errima of