[PEN-L:6037] Re: April 28th: Time to Remember

[Tom Lehman <uswa12@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, I remember attending a memorial service for your pal in the late 80's
held at the Pitt school of engineering.

Two things that I recall from that memorial meeting. One was slides of  the
little hydro station your friend had built. The other was a slide of an
ancient gentleman from the neighborhood who had in his youth had been with the
original Sandinistas.  This old gentleman had painted his house in Sandinista
colors, as much as to say to the contras, come and get me.

Another interesting thing another, one of my pals claimed that he had drinks
in a hotel bar in Honduras or was it Guatemala with that Hosenfaus(sp)
character.

Fraternally,

Tom L.

pamela calla wrote:

> Tom L. notes:
>
> >Tomorrow, April 28th is workers memorial day.  Workers Memorial Day is
> dedicated
> >to the people who get killed and injured everyday on the job.
>
> On April 28th 1987, Ben Linder was out doing his job: taking water
> measurements on wier he had built, to determine the potential for small
> hydroelectric plant development in norther Nicaragua.
>
> Laying in wait was a contra "task force".  Shots were fired, grenades
> thrown, and 3 were killed: Ben and two Nicaraguan co-workers. Some months
> later his folks got an envelope from the State Department; in it were his
> watch, wallet and a few other things.
>
> When asked who was responsible for his son's death, David Linder, Ben's
> father, responded "someone, who was paid by someone, who was paid by
> someone ... and all the way down the president of the United States."
>
> Ben and I were close; we shared a room in Mataglapa; his wake was held in
> the office I shared with three nicaraguan co-workers.  I was still doing
> architecture then; my first bit of design work actually built in Nicaragua
> was the structure around is tombstone.
>
> Tomorrow night at the local factory workers union meeting hall we'll be
> talking about Nicaragua, Ben, teh future.
>
> Take a moment tomorrow for Ben; and for all the others sacrificed on the
> alter of profit of reasons of state.
>
> Thanks-
>
> Tom
>
> Tom Kruse
> Casilla 5812 / Cochabamba, Bolivia
> Tel/Fax: (591-4) 248242
> Email: tkruse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx