“Every action you went into, you were scared. I knew after the second action that unless we got
more equipment it was a losing cause. We had rifles and were going up against submachine guns and artillery. We felt betrayed that they wouldn’t open up the borders to allow our supplies to get through. We were so angry at the so-called democratic countries that we were determined to fight like hell up until the end.

“Spain changed my whole life. I saw a country struggling—ordinary people, peasants, poor people. They couldn’t even read or write, but when these young people came up to the front, we became an integrated army, struggling against the fascists. It left an indelible impression on my mind. So when I got back, I decided that I was going to be committed to furthering the cause of the people, whatever I did.”

Dave Smith