ALBA

Milt died on Jan. 25, 1974 in the Bronx.

A fellow ALB vet remembered Milt for his zest for life: "He would sing on picket lines while we dragged furniture back for evicted neighbors...His anti-fascist spirit & humanism remain with us. When we return to a free Spain...Milt will be forever present.”

In Jarama, many of his comrades were Irish and he was given the nickname Milty O'Goldstein. He returned to the United States in September 1937.

During WWII, Milt served in the US army between 1941-1945. Milt married Frieda Fritzy Klempner in 1941, and they had two children: Louis and Marsha.

An undated family photograph of Milton Goldstein. He is middle-aged with a receding hairline and smiling broadly. Milt is wearing a button-down shirt and appears happy.

Mendel Milton Goldstein was born #otd in 1915 in NYC and lived in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Milton joined the Communist Party in 1933 and sailed to Spain in February 1937. He served with the ALB as Asst. Squad Commander in Jarama and Cordoba. After an injury, Milt worked in the rear as an artist.

After Spain, Martin worked as a communications operator in Kalamazoo, MI and a traveling engineer in NYC. He passed on May 27, 1986.

Learn more about Martin and other ALB volunteers in our biographical database: alba-valb.org/volunteer-di...

"Martin Grumet and Dave Doran, undated. Martin is wearing a work jumpsuit with a canteen or bag slung across his chest. He is talking to Dave Doran, who is wearing a full uniform with leather trench coat and cap. From the 15th International Brigade Photographic Unit Photograph Collection."

"A photograph of Martin Grumet with an unidentified woman and man. The two men are sitting outside. Martin is wearing a wrinkled button-down shirt and tie and sunglasses. It appears that he has a newspaper on his lap. The woman has curly hair and is smoking, poking her head out a window. The unidentified man is wearing an army jacket with insignia. It is sunny and they are smiling."

Martin Joseph Grumet was born #otd in Pittsburgh, PA in 1914. He worked as an auto mechanic and joined the CPUSA in 1933. He lived in Detroit before he arrived in Spain on July 31, 1937. Martin served in the Auto Park until he returned to the US a week before his 24th birthday on October 25, 1938.

A photograph of Sidney Rosenblatt's grave in France. It is a Star of David with his rank (Private, 691 Ord. Company), New York, and his date of death, October 19, 1944. There is an American flag and peach colored roses on his grave.

While imprisoned in Spain, Sidney was editor of underground paper “Jaily News” before he returned to the US on May 6, 1939.

Sidney served in the US Army during WWII but was KIA just before his 30th birthday when his motorcycle hit a land mine. He is buried at the Epinal American Cemetery in France.

An undated photograph of Sidney Rosenblatt standing outside of the doors of a building. He is holding a rifle and wearing a helmet, wearing a type of army shirt with rolled-up sleeves.

Sidney Rosenblatt was born #otd in NYC, 1915. He worked odd jobs, including as a teacher. He joined the Young Communist League in 1934 and went to Spain on June 21, 1937. Sidney served with ALB and the Mac Paps as a clerk. He was captured while aiding his mortally wounded Commander David Reiss.

William John Tatham in his 1935 Application for Seaman’s Protection Certificate. He has very short hair and prominent ears, looking straight at the camera. He is wearing a collared shirt that is unbuttoned at the top.

During William's service in Spain he was promoted to sergeant. William returned to the US on December 20, 1938.

After Spain, William worked as a merchant marine engineer until he passed on January 29, 1977. He is buried in Forest Hills Cemetery, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

William John Tatham in Spain, wearing a military-style shirt with epaulets and a cap. He is looking at the camera, face slightly pointing downward.

William John Tatham was born #otd in Walhalla, SC, 1908. He worked as a sailor and miner. He joined the CPUSA, ISU, and NMU before he arrived in Spain on September 14, 1937. He served with ALB as a machine gunner in Teruel, Segura de los Baños, Retreats (Caspe, Belchite, Gandesa), & Ebro Offensive.

Sam ran into trouble when he deserted during the Ebro Offensive in the summer of 1938 and was imprisoned. Sam returned to the US on December 20, 1938.

Sam continued to work as a teacher in Chicago and Los Angeles. He married Eleanor McMahon Pick on June 22, 1959. He passed on April 26, 1993.

A photograph of Sam Katzman in Spain, in front of a hilly landscape. He is rolling up his right shirtsleeve. His shirt is unbuttoned at the chest and he is squinting into the sun. He has very short hair and a mustache.

Samuel Katzman was born #otd in Chicago, 1914. Katzman worked as a teacher and joined the CPUSA in 1933. He initially left the party by 1935 but rejoined in 1937. He arrived in Spain on May 22, 1937 and served in Abraham Lincoln Brigade as a medic.

Nancarrow, Conlon Samuel | The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives Nancarrow, Conlon Samuel b. October 27, 1912, Texarkana, Texas; mother S. C. Nancarrow; No prior military service; Attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music from 1930-1933 and Harvard from 1933 to...

He died August 10, 1997, Mexico City, Mexico. Learn more: alba-valb.org/volunteers/c...

Nancarrow did not return to the United States until 1981, when he traveled to San Francisco for a music festival. He refused to disavow his participation in Spain and returned to live the rest of life in Mexico.

Upon his return to the US in 1939, Conlon learned that his Brigade colleagues were having trouble getting their U.S. passports renewed because of their Communist Party membership. After spending time in New York City in 1940, Nancarrow moved to Mexico to escape FBI harassment.

Conlon served at Jarama, Brunete, Belchite, Teruel, and Levante and WIA at Brunete. Like many Republicans who managed to escape to France, he was held in a French concentration camp after leaving Spain. Conlon returned to the US on February 26, 1939 aboard President Roosevelt.

When the Spanish Civil War broke out, he traveled to Spain in March 1937 to fight fascism. Conlon served in diverse sections: he was with the Washington Battalion and in aerial defense Defensa Contra Aviación (DECA) with the Dimitrov Battalion.

Conlon Nancarrow was born #otd in 1912 in Texarkana, Texas. At the age of 18, Conlon attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for three years and Harvard for two. He joined the CP in Boston in June 1935 and was a member of the Writers Union. He was classically trained and became a jazz composer

Evan enlisted in the US Army for WWII. He was trained in intelligence and tanks but was never deployed. Shipman later became famous as an equestrian writer before he passed June 24, 1957.

A horse race at Belmont Park is named in his honor: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Sh...

At the end of the Spanish Civil War Evan was again arrested in France but he avoided his sentence by agreeing to leave the country. He returned to the U.S in June 1938.

Another formal three-quarters portrait of Evan Biddle Shipman. His hair is slicked over from a side part and he is looking off to the distance, not the camera. He is wearing a suit jacket and has a mustache.

Evan was intercepted before Spain and spent six weeks in a French prison. After his release, he was determined to fight and joined ALB in May 1937. He was WIA at Brunete and recuperated at Villa Paz and later worked as an interpreter, script writer and editor of the #VolunteerForLiberty.

"A formal three-quarters portrait of Evan Biddle Shipman. His hair is slicked over from a side part and he has a serious look on his face with one eyebrow lifted higher than the other. He is wearing a suit jacket and has a mustache."

Evan Biddle Shipman was born #otd in Plainfield, NH, 1904. His mother was Ellen Biddle Shipman, a famous landscape architect. He studied University of Lorraine and the Sorbonne. A journalist, he went to Spain to help deliver ambulances for his friend, Ernest Hemingway.

Lane, John Albert | The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives Lane, John Albert. (Laine, John “Jack”; Lane John G.); b. October 22, 1905, Lake George, Minnesota (April 27, 1916, St. Louis, Missouri; November 22, 1905, Lake George); Finnish American…

John served in the US Army Air Corps during WWII. He married Myrtle Theese Lane on December 27, 1947 in Black Earth, Wisconsin and worked as a tool grinder. He passed on October 17, 1975.

Learn more about John Albert Lane and other ALB volunteers: alba-valb.org/volunteers/j...

A photograph of on John Lane standing outside in front of a hilly terrain. He is wearing a winter cap, jacket, and military-style pants and boots. He is holding a rifle downward and squinting at the camera.

John Albert Lane was born #otd in Lake George, MN, 1905. He worked as a driver and airplane mechanic in Duluth. He joined the CPUSA before he arrived in Spain on Sept. 30, 1937. He served with ALB and was WIA on Oct. 15, 1937 in Fuentes de Ebro. He survived and returned to the US on Dec. 15, 1938.

Duncan was WIA from shrapnel in Caballs on Sept. 23, 1938 and returned to the US on Dec. 20, 1938. He served in the Merchant Marines during WWII. Later, he worked as an accountant in Downey, CA. He passed on August 23, 1993.

Learn more about ALB vets in our database: alba-valb.org/volunteer-di...

Duncan Keir, Jr. in Spain. He is standing outside in a type of military shirt, unbuttoned at the color with two breast pockets and epaulets. His hair is parted on the side. Behind him there are hills and sparse trees.

Duncan Keir Jr. was born #otd in Paisley, Scotland, 1912. He arrived in the US on October 1, 1923. He served in the US Army at the Panama Canal from 1933 until he joined the CPUSA in 1937. He worked as a sailor before he arrived in Spain on June 10, 1938 and served with ALB in transmissions.

Abraham Lincoln Brigade volunteer Walter Dicks, born #otd in South Carolina in 1898.

Walter returned to the United States on December 15, 1938, aboard the Paris. More research is needed to better understand his life after Spain. He is believed to have died in Ohio in 1967.

Learn more about Walter and other ALB volunteers in our biographical database: alba-valb.org/volunteer-di...

A slightly blurry photograph of Walter Dicks in Spain. He is standing in front of a stone wall and has a type of worker's jacket on.

Arriving in the spring of 1937, Walter Dicks served as a truck and ambulance driver and survived action at Brunete, Belchite, Quinto, Teruel, the Retreats, and in the Ebro Offensive. Those who knew him in Spain noted that he exhibited proficiency and a cool head in the most trying situations.

"A black and white portrait of Walter Dicks wearing a grey suit jacket, white collared shirt, and patterned tie. He is smiling, looking to his right. He has short-cropped hair."

Walter Dicks was born #otd in Blackfield, South Carolina in 1898, where he completed grammar school. Walter moved to Cleveland, Ohio and in 1931 joined the Communist Party and subsequently attended regional and national party schools. In 1937, he was one of 90 African American men who went to Spain.

Donate | The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives Please consider donating to the Peter N. Carroll Anti-Fascist Education Fund, a fund to expand our efforts to contextualize and disseminate the anti-fascist history of the United States through the…

Give a donation in Robert’s memory to ALBA, dedicated to keeping his memory alive: alba-valb.org/donate/