This year has been marked with several events and celebrations in both Europe and the United States commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the Spanish Civil War. My uncle, Barton Carter, at the age of 21, left Williams College in Massachusetts for Spain in 1936 to volunteer his services, first as a truck driver, then as the administrator of several orphanages in Catalonia, and finally as a member of the International Brigade. Thirty-five thousand young recruits from several countries including France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Canada, Hungary, and Belgium traveled to Spain to fight Fascism along side the Loyalist troops and restore a Democratic Spain. Nearly a third of the internationalists who enlisted were killed including my uncle.
On October 22, at the Austerlitz train station in Paris, France, a six-ton granite statue of an anonymous soldier carrying a large load was unveiled. Eighty years ago, the majority of the international recruits left for Spain from this train station. In late November 1936, Barton Carter shared a compartment with two Belgians on their way to enlist in the war. As they sped through the French countryside, they shared their personal stories, which spearheaded their willingness to risk their lives for the Spanish cause.
According to some who attended the Paris event last Saturday, the celebration was very moving. Several of the third and fourth generation descendants of the International Brigadiers came from all over the world. Among the attendees, a plethora of languages other than French were detected throughout the crowd including Spanish, German, Italian, Polish, English, and even Chinese! The mayor suggested that the attendees sing the Internationale, an anthem written in the 19th century, which represents the Socialist movement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcXNXKtu8z4. Together the crowd broke out into song in memory of the Spanish cause for which many of their ancestors lost their lives.
Today, the parallels between the Syrian and the Spanish Civil wars are notable. In both, the brave young soldiers risked their lives for freedom against oppression and to fiercely protect their women and children against the brutality of a heinous regime. Moreover, many innocent citizens are forced to leave their beloved homeland in search of safety for which tens of thousands endure unspeakable hardships.
Perhaps eight decades from now, the ancestors of those brave men and women, who risked their lives to fight for or to provide humanitarian aid or medical care for the Syrian people will meet at a designated location to memorialize their heroic predecessors. We all give thanks for their heroism and are grateful for their service.
