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In October over 600 veterans and supporters of the

|thternational Brigades were welcomed by the mayors of

Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona and loyalist supporters.

he reception and tour was organized by the Centre for

Panish Studies as the government of Spain took no
Mficial part.

The tour was a moving experience.

_ laccompanied Mac-Pap spokesman Ross Russell as we
Nere greeted by loyalist supporters and young people
Nherever we went. We walked up a mountain in Bar-
ona to visit a fort where 50 years ago Russell had wit-
l€ssed 3,000 wounded prisoners returning to the city.
husse// recalled being on a hospital train of wounded
|ldiers and being strafed by one of Franco’s planes.

|P°me of the doctors fled. A Dutch nurse courageously

Emained to care for the wounded. Now 70 she was there
“hd they met again.
i 't was a brutal war in which over 611,000 died but in
i /Pite of the cost and the political and military mistakes the
MOuntain that held the loyalist wall of solidarity together
Ss anti-fascism.

) It was the hypocritical policies of the western govern-
bts and the superior arms supplied by Hitler and Mus-
«lini that destroyed it.

he resistance in Spain helped to postpone the war in
Ffope, a victory may have prevented it. Spain was the
Diversity for the leaders of the resistance movement in
rope.

| This history is being repeated today in Nicaragua, Gre-
da, Latin America, Angola ...

: f Pap veteran Ross Russell with the flag of the
“Mational Brigades in Spain

| los Canadienses

a painting by Bill Stapleton

Returning to
Spain

50 years after the start of the Spanish Civil War, veterans of the International Brigades returned to the
country where they had given so much in the fight against fascism. Seven members and seven supporters of the
Mackenzie Papineau Battalion of Canada were among those who returned to Spain in October of this year.
Artist Bill Stapleton travelled with the Canadian delegation and shares with us, in words and pictures, his
impressions of this memorable occasion.

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“a eee 507k Anawersary of J.B. Hadeid 196.

Dolores Ibarruri, “La Passionaria’”’ as she was known was leader of the Spanish
Communist Party. Her impassioned oratory inspired the peoples’ resistance against
fascism. Now in her 90's, this fragile, saintly woman signed autographs for over an
hour. Through the barrage of cameras and admirers | managed to have her sign this
drawing | had quickly done of her. Prints of this drawing will soon be available.

For Whom the Bells Tolled

From forty countries these men came
to fight a war in bleeding Spain
Fifty thousand strangers then
They came to celebrate again
in Spain in ‘86
Those by bullets not diminished
and whose lives were not unfinished
Came to Spain again
There were handshakes, hugs and tears
and laughter
— A celebration to hereafter
that helped to heal the pain.
Defeated by a fascist pact
that war was not their final act
Because of them — the world will be
A better place for you and me
50th anniversary of the
International Brigade in Spain
Bill Stapleton, October 1986

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