War Vet.
July 9, 2009 8:36 pm
Thanks to David All, here’s a true War Vet:
“(AP) In 1937, John Hovan volunteered to travel to Spain and fight on the side of democracy against Gen. Francisco Franco’s fascist forces in the Spanish Civil War.
Now, at age 93, he’s being honored with Spanish citizenship for his service as a transport driver. On Thursday, the Spanish consul general in Boston is scheduled to visit Hovan’s home so he can sign citizenship papers. His Spanish passport should arrive in a few weeks.
“It was a difficult moment in the world and they risked their lives,” said consul general Carlos Robles. “We respect that and would like to honor in a small way.”
The honor is made possible by a 2008 law that allows foreign volunteers who fought in the Spanish Civil War – a group made famous by Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” – to receive Spanish citizenship and retain dual status.
Fewer than 25 members of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade – a group of about 2,800 Americans who volunteered in the war – are still alive today. “
