Camposines, 4th October, 2014. Today I was privileged to attend the annual commemoration at Camposines Ossuary and Memorial to the Dead of the Battle of the Ebro. Over the past four years new plaques have been added each september or October with a solemn homenage to the missing of both sides during the 115 horrific days of Battle. In late April this year I took the niece of American brigader Sam Markovitz and her family to the Ebro to follow in her uncles footsteps. Sam entered Spain on August 31st 1938, signed his political testament in Figueras on September 1st, was sent to thr training camp at Montblanc, and then to join the Lincoln Washington Battalion in reserve east of Camposines. On 7th September he was in Company 3 in the Serra Caballs and was captured after being surrounded by the enemy. As the prisoners were marched back English was heard spoken and the Internationals were then ordered to one side of the road and shot. The brigaders killed were Jack Arnold (reported by Herman Rosenstein), Ben Kamnitz, Edward A. Dunos, Julius Funk, Patrick Garofola, Samuel Grossner, Phillip Henry Hardy, Leonard David Hellman, Leonard Martin Holtzclaw, Sol Leiserowitz, James Hamilton Martin, irving Rifkin, Sidney Rosenstein and Sam Markovitz. I took the family to the places where Sam had been, including the Hill where he was captured and the road where he was executed. He was only 21 years old and had spent less time in Spain than a person on holiday here. The family left some stones from Israel and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and said a Kaddish. I mentioned that Memorial Democratic erect a plaque each year with names of men who died or disappeared in the Battle of the Ebro, and subsequently the family applied successfully for his name to be added. I was needless to say, very happy to represnt the family in their absence. It was a very moving event with over 100 relations there to remember their lost ones. I was overcome with emotion on seeing an old man in a yellow shirt, sobbing uncontrollably whilst looking at the plaque of forty names. It moved me greatly. Both young and old were there and it was an incredible experience. Joining me today were Roger Stoll and Lucienne OKeefe from San Fransisco who knew Nate Thornton from years ago. They kindly left a carnation by the plaque as we all did, and I placed a photo of Sam beside the plaque. We also filmed a short report with Ramon Aragones Margalef in both English and Catalan to show the event and also to let family of brigaders know that Memorial Democratic and Associacio Lo Riu in La Fatarella have set up a DNA Bank to try and identify the many human remains still found in the hills of the Terra Alta. All the human remains deposited in the ossuary at Camposines have samples taken for DNA comparison. Sams niece is the first to take part in this exciting project. I am very pleased and proud that Sam Markovitzname has been added. He can now join Briton David Buffman and American Irving Fishgold on the many plaques and hopefully in the still of the night they can talk, argue and remember their brief time on this fragile earth. These are sadly the only English speaking brigaders on the plaques here. But there is a horde of Norwegian brigaders! But not sure if they speak much English! If anyone would like to include the name of a brigader who died on the Ebro, it is easy to organise and maybe next year more English speaking brigaders can be added? I hope so! Thank you to Memorial Democratic, the alcalde and Ajuntament of La Fatarella and all those who took part today. It was a very moving event for me and for all those who took part.
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 21:36:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015