Spanish tribute to Sam Levinger
Samuel Harold Levinger (1917-1937). Courtesy of Josh Levinger, http://www.levinger.net/josh/2005/12/18/sam
Juan Arana writes (for a version in Spanish, see below):
Today, September 29, 2013, a group of friends and sympathizers of the International Brigades, brought together by Luis Granell, a writer and journalist from Zaragoza, gathered in La Puebla de Híjar, Teruel (Spain) to pay tribute to Sam Levinger and all the other members of the Brigades.
Sam Levinger, a sociology student from Ohio State University (Columbus), had come to Spain as a twenty-year-old to join the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in its “fight against the fascists and big landowners.” He fought at Jarama and Brunete, after which he was transferred to Aragón. He was wounded at Belchite and died in Puebla de Híjar, where he is buried.
As part of the homage to Sam we read poems and letters from Love and Revolutionary Greetings, the book about Sam written by his niece Laurie E. Levinger.
We were joined by the mayor of Puebla de Híjar, Mr. Pedro Bello (of the United Left party), as well as by other members of the community, including Vicente González, president of the Association of Friends of the International Brigades (AABI).
After the reading the mayor accompanied us as we visited the location of the hospital where Sam died, and commemorated the bombing of the town’s train station and sugar factory, as well as other events from the war against the Francoist rebellion.
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Hoy, 29 de septiembre de 2013, un grupo de amigos y simpatizantes de las brigadas internacionales, convocados por el escritor y periodista zaragozano Luis Granell, nos hemos congregado en La Puebla de Hijar, Teruel, España para rendir un homenaje a Sam Levinger y con él a todos los brigadistas.
Sam Levinger, estudiante de sociología en Ohio (Universidad de Columbus), habia venido a España, con 20 años, a unirse a la Brigada Abraham Lincoln para “luchar contras los fascistas y terratenientes”. Combatió en Jarama y Brunete, siendo trasladado a Aragón. Fue herido en Belchite muriendo en la Puebla de Hijar donde está sepultado.
En el homenaje hemos leido poemas y cartas del libro “Amor y saludos Revolucionarios: Un chico de Ohio en la guerra civil española” escrito por su sobrina Laurie E. Levinger .
Nos ha acompañado el alcalde de La Puebla de Hijar (IU), Pedro Bello y otros miembros de su corporación así como Vicente González, presidente de la Asociación de Amigos de las Brigadas Internacionales.
Después de la lectura, el alcalde nos ha acompañado a ver los lugares donde estuvo ubicado el hospital en el que falleció Sam y nos ha recordado los bombardeos que sufrió ese pueblo en la estación y la Azucarera así como otros hechos ocurridos durante la guerra contra la rebelión franquista.
I was very happy to hear of this event. Though originally for 6th September at last it happened yesterday. With the presence of AABI I hope that it has raised further awareness of the imoprtance of recovering the local memories. It happened in Quinto last August on the 75th anniversary of that Battle and now in Belchite the ajuntamiento are providing guides tours of the village with a Tourist Information Centre in the new town by the church. Already between this March when it first opened and early July, over 3,000 people have visited the site, with i pods for other languages. Employment, repair of the ruins of the village and greater awareness of the conflict in this area of the Lower Aragan will encourage people to visit, arned with copies of Laurie Levinger’s book on her uncle, Sam Levinger. Thank you to all who organised this event yesterday to remember Sam and all those who died here, at Belchite and by extension, during the Spanish Civil War. I forget who said it, but “A people who forget thier history are condemned to repeat it”.