The man holding Fighting for Democracy is Ben Pratt, a full time firefighter/paramedic in Augusta; Maine’s state capital.
So what is my father’s book doing in a fire station in Maine and why is it featured in this image.
Here’s the backstory. An avid reader, Ben was approached by Augusta’s Lithgow Library asking if he’d be interested in being featured in this year’s celebration of the library’s 125th Anniversary. As part of its celebration, the library took out a series of ads in Down East magazine which has the largest paid circulation in the state.
He says, “For some reason they thought showing my ugly mug to the world was a good idea and sent a pro photographer—Buddy Doyle—over to take a pic of me reading at the firehouse and get a quote about ‘why reading matters.’ They shortened my quote, but at least your dad’s book features in the shot to save the day.” Ben sent me the ad which appears in the September issue, thinking I’d get a kick out of it. I do!
Ben’s full quote was, “Reading can be a revolutionary act, a place for safe and healthy escapism, or the catalyst for positive change. It creates critical thinkers and empathetic humans by allowing for exploration and learning far outside our comfort zones or areas of expertise. Reading is the foundation that supports my goal of lifelong learning, whether up to camp, during down time at work, or just on a rainy day on the couch. Here’s to all the readers out there; they make the world a more interesting and livable place!”
So where does Ben’s interest in the Spanish Civil War come from. It turns out he had a distant relative—Albert Beaulieu—who fought with the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion in Spain. Albert was born August 19, 1906 in Trois-Pistoles, Quebec. He left for Spain from Vancouver and was reported missing around Gandesa during the second stage of the Retreats in early April 1938.
Despite considerable research, Ben can find no evidence that Albert returned to Canada. He tells me, “If any of your contacts have info on Mac-Pap, Albert Beaulieu, who may have lived in the Vancouver area I would love to hear from them.”
So many Canadians were killed or MIA during those retreats that the answer could well lie in DNA evidence. Bones of civilians and soldiers, including international brigaders, are being dug up and tested for DNA as part of Spain’s Historical Memory Movement. To that end, a DNA registry has been set up by Spain’s Catalonian government.
Samples are being collected from relatives of those who were killed or disappeared during the war. People who’ve been silenced for decades—the Franco effect—are publicly revealing where the dead are, many of them in mass graves. Each DNA match reveals another emotional story.
Later this month, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives in New York is offering a seminar on how the project works for relatives of brigaders. Ben is hoping to attend the session online to determine if this is a route he will follow. I wish him luck.
Thank you, Ben: for your perseverence; for the way you are honouring Albert Beaulieu; and for choosing Jim’s book for the shoot. No Pasaran!
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Fighting for Democracy is available online in all eBook formats. Links here.
The soft cover is available from me here.