UNIVERSITY
Spanish Civil War veteran lectures
Freshmen leam war is not black or white
By April Brinkman
Emerald Contribute!
A visiting Spanish Civil War
veteran on Thursday brought
home the reality of war during
his lecture to a freshman semi
nar class.
Bob Reed, now 7f». fought in
the war from 1937 to '38 when
he was only 22 He saiil he was
inspired to help stop the spread
of fascism over Europe
The Spanish Civil War start
ed when conservative elements
in lilt! country joined under
Gen. Francisco Franco in a re
volt against the elected Repub
lican government. Franco and
his insurgents, with help from
Nazi Germany and Italy, even
tually succeeded in taking over
Spain in 193H.
Reed was one of 40.000 vol
unteers who fought as part of
the International Brigades on
the side of the Republican
Army. He served in combat as a
sergeant.
"In Spain, we were fighting
for a democracy." he said. "We
wert! volunteers with clearly
defined objectives. We felt that
we had to win for the people."
Though Reed said he still be
lieves he was morally right in
his position in the war. he con
now see that neither side was
absolutely good or evil
"War is never black and
white." he said.
The veteran compared this
feeling to the conflict in the
Middle Hast today, in which
"the soldiers are there by force,
to defend one dictatorship
against another, and the popu
lation, including Congress, is
divider! as to whether or not we
should lie there.”
Reed said hi! believes that to
day. war is a different, more
dangerous ballgame. and,
"now the United Nations is a
better way to handle conflicts,
rather than direct warfare.”
Reed personalized the war by
relating his own experiences.
On his last day of combat in
Bob Reed
Spain, around Christmas of
1<»3B, "bombers came over We
were in the open, so we lay
down and hoped for the lies!
One of my friends from Spain
who was lying right next to fne
was hit by a piece of shrapnel
and died.
“I still remember that kid
When we were getting off the
train, there was his mother,
looking for people with famili
ar names. I still remember
that."
The reality of war hit Keed
before he bad even stepped foot
on Spanish soil, when bis ship
was torpedoed by an Italian
submarine in the Atlantic on
his way over to Europe.
"In the year and a half I
spent in Spain, I saw the
change from fairly prosperous
communities to people who
were always hungry." he said
"The biggest tragedy was to the
Spanish people themselves
Refugees were put in camps
with bare facilities and lousy
food. Many died. War is pretty
terrible."
However. Reed said he be
lieves that sometimes it is nec
essary to fight for what one la'
lieves in
“I would have felt guilty if I
had not gone over to Europe
and done my part in the fight
against fascism." lie saiii I
have no regrets for the life I've
had as an activist Sometimes
somebodv has to Stic k Ills nei k
out. even if it means getting
shot at "
After Reed returned from the
war. he continued his politital
activism, inspired further by
his experiences in the war
However. Ins social involve
moot started before lie even left
for the war. when he was al
most lynched for Irving to help
the sharecroppers in the Amen
i an South organize a union
Today. Reed is an ai tivisl in
volved in the Committee in
Solidarity of HI Salvador,
which opposes the monetary
support the United States gives
to the Central American gov
ernment
In addition, the veteran re
cently appeared on a radio
show in Seattle, in which he
publicly opposed U S involve
ment in the Middle Hast.
Reed is also concerned with
the state of the world environ
ment and of America's econo
my He said lie would like to
see money spent on domestic:,
social programs, rather than
"being eaten up in the sands of
Saudi Arabia
Reed held the attention of the
Spanish Civil War freshman
seminar class during his hour
and a half let tore
Sophomore K Michael hove
lady, a member of the class,
said Reed strengthened his
anti-war views
"He was about the same age
as I am now when he went
over." I.ovcladv said "He
brought to life tfie human fat tor
of war '
Professor Klizabelh Davis,
who teaches the course, said
she fell it was important lor the
i lass to listen to Reed in order
to obtain a personalized, eye
witness account of the war.
something that cannot la- found
in a text book
Roberts worried about nerve gas storage
K)KTI.ANI) (At*) Gov
elec I Barbara Roberts says slit*
is worried about the chance of
an explosion at the II.S. Army
nerve Has storage site in Kastern
Oregon.
More than 100.01)0 aging
nerve gas rockets are stored in
com rete bunkers at the Army
Depot Activity Umatilla, one of
eight U S. nerve gas reposito
ries.
The Army is planning to de
stroy the weapons in specially
designed incinerators hut the
project may take until the end
of the decade.
AIhiiB 5,200 tons of nerve
gas weapons have been stored
at the repository near Herniis
ton since 1002.
"1 don't think until recently
we've paid enough attention to
what's there and what it might
mean to citizens in this state."
Roberts said.
She said her concerns about
the Umatilla depot rank with
her concerns aliou! the Hanford
nuclear reservation in south
eastern Washington and the
Trojan nuclear plant in Rainier.
Roberts had favored a ballot
measure to close Troian but it
was defeated by voters on Nov.
6.
When asked whether site Im
lieved tfie public: is adequately
protected from the danger of a
nerve gas leak at the Umatilla
depot. Roberts said, ”1 think
the problem we have is that vve
don't know.'
Roberts was responding to
questions from KPTV, which
televised a spec ial report on the
Umatilla depot last week The
Portland TV station said that
chemical stabilizers in tin;
nerve gas rockets are nearly to
years old and are deteriorating
to the point where they could
explode spontaneously.
"We have those reports that
i learly say there's the potential
of an explosion." Roberts said
"I think the truth is none of us
c an say everyone is totally pro
tended and safe. '
The Army has said it hopes
to destroy thee weapons stoc k
pile at the- depot within It)
years A prototype weapons in
cinerator already is operating
on johnslon Island near Hawaii
that may bet nine the model tor
incinerators at Umatilla and the
oilier seven repositories
Roberts says a new task force
will study safety issues .it the
l' mat i I hi base
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