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This report is about a return. A return to the Red Madrid!
The beautiful Madrid. The civil war Madrid.
In early November to meet over 300 War veterans -
- at Hotel Convencion, a Modern giant Hotel in the spanish Capital...
From England, USA, Canada, Bulgarien, Germany, Russia, -
- and from 25 other countries, they come to Madrid.
For 60 years since they participated in the Spanish Civil War.
Together with the more than 40,000 enthusiastic young people -
- from all over the world, they traveled to Spain, -
- and reported themselves as soldiers in the International Brigade.
They wanted to help the Spanish Republic -
- in the fight against General Franco's rebellion!
Here in November are the last survivors of Los Brigadisdas Internacionales -
- come to Madrid to celebrate and be celebrated for 60 years -
- for the formation of the International Brigade.
Quite a few of the survivors Brigadists has participated -
- in most of the bloody civil war battles.
For most it is a single city, or a front section -
- which is the sole or main objective.
But common to all the brigadists is -
- that youth work has dominated their later lives.
Whether they were in Spain a few months or longer.
Alive they are each and every one become a symbol.
A symbol of youth, strength and sacrifices!
On democracy and determination!
For everything that gives hope and a wave of the future!
This is also the report on one last effort -
- from a bunch of very old men, and some women.
They have waited 60 years. Now they are back!
Or as Edwin Gold, an old American from New York says, -
- seated in his wheelchair in the lobby of Hotel Convención:
"It is the last Hurrah!"
From Madrid the trip goes to the garnision city of Albacete, -
- and then to Barcelona. The last city where the brigadists fought against Franco.
The trip goes in its own way, both through modern Spain -
- and also through this century's political history.
World War II.
Holocust and Nazi extermination camps.
The Cold War, -
- China -
- Cuba, -
- and even later the Berlin Wall fall.
From city to city by bus and train, travel an entire convoy.
A powerful symbol of youthful strength and sacrifices!
In reality, there are a bunch of old men.
Completely white hairy, if not bald.
Besides moving a rash of wheelchairs, walking sticks and hearing aids.
And a plethora of flags, banners, songs, and red stars and insignia.
In this way the brigadists' travel an illustration of what history is.
That time goes and goes, and for each person it will never come back.
The Convoy's first stop is at the Arganda Bridge in the region of Madrid.
Here was they toughest battles about the Capital in the civil-war.
And here was the Republic's famous slogan ¡NO PASARAN! used for the first time.
87-year Villy Fuglsang is from Aalborg.
He is one of a total of 6 Spain volunteers from Denmark, which makes the whole journey with.
At Jarama happening in the February 36,
- some crucial battles.
For here at Jarama tried Franco,
- to cut off the city Madrid from its hinterland.
Madrid was the view of such a, - a wedge.
And just - at the bridge, Arganda Bridge. It was the fighting was about.
And historically, it's the first place where fascists really was stopped!
Where we really did the watchword:
¡No pasarán! They did not come through!
There were then 6 International Brigades.
There was essentially German-speaking XI. Where most of the Danish was..
The XII was Italian.
XIII It was very mixed.
XIV was French. The XV was English-speaking.
And the 121 were all sorts of Balkan peoples, etc.
At Jarama Front, it was particularly Americans and British who were put into the fighting.
In hundreds fell trying to stop the German and Italian soldiers to come to Madrid.
It was these young people who really did blow the word ¡No pasarán!
Therefore speaks American and English Brigadists the noisy Spanish speakers.