US vets of Spanish Civil War

[Scott Marshall <Scott@xxxxxxxxxx>]

**Spanish government honors U.S. anti-fascist vets**

(Reprinted from the January 20, 1996 issue of the People's
Weekly World. Maybe reprinted or reposted with PWW credit.
For subscription information see below)

Special to the World

The FBI kept files on them, factory owners fired and
harassed them but the Spanish government has voted to honor
them. In December, the Spanish Parliament unanimously
approved a recommendation to grant citizenship to all
members of the International Brigades (IB), including the
U.S. Abraham Lincoln Battalion.

Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. Communist Party called on
American workers to defend democracy against fascism in
Spain. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was born and sailed to
Spain, joining Spanish and other European democrats,
including those from Germany and Italy. The Spanish Civil
War was the dress rehearsal for World War II.

For years Spaniards who served in the International Brigades
pressured the government to grant citizenship to all
veterans of the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Socialist
Party, the United Left Party and the Basque Nationalist
Party spearheaded the movement that resulted in the decision
by the Spanish Parliament. Although blacked out by the U.S.
media, the Spanish press featured the story, praising the
volunteers as having the "noblest of motives."

The Spanish people will honor IB veterans with a celebration
next November. In 1986, a coalition of Spanish groups
organized the 50th commemoration of the fight to defeat
fascism in Spain. The same coalition has launched a massive
fundraising effort to provide free passage for IB veterans
and their families to join them in Madrid when citizenship
is expected to be conferred.

Although written out of U.S. history, the Lincolns broke new
ground 60 years ago for all Americans. The Abraham Lincoln
Brigade was the first U.S. military unit to be completely
integrated. African-Americans served as combat officers
leading Black and white troops in battle.

Despite the record of units like the Tuskegee Airmen and
other African American units, the U.S. military was not
formally desegregated until 1947, after World War II. In the
years that followed African Americans faced intense racism
by the military until the 1960s when the Civil Rights
Movement challenged the racial barriers.
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