Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives

10/13/2026

Mildred Rackley was born in 1906 in Carlsbad, New Mexico to a ranching family. As a young person, Mildred worked as a high school teacher around Taos, where she became involved in the rich intellectual and artistic community there.

In Taos she met and briefly married German painter Hans Paap and the pair traveled throughout Europe in the early 1930s. After they split, Mildred became involved in the WPA and League Against War and Fascism in NYC. In January 1937 Mildred volunteered with Dr. Edward Barsky as part of the first American medical team to Spain, utilizing her language skills in German, Spanish, and French.

In Spain she helped scour the countryside for stoves, gasoline, water pumps, and other supplies for the field hospitals and aided in foreign-based fundraising appeals. In between action, she sketched and photographed what she saw in Spain. She returned to the United States in the summer of 1938.

Mildred worked as an engineer during WWII out of the Oakland shipyards. She married Rawlings Simon in 1944 and adopted two children: Philip and John. In the '60s she returned to teaching. Mildred died in 1992 at the age of 86.

She reflected on her time in Spain: “The whole experience, from beginning to end, stretched my capacities both mentally and physically beyond anything in my previous experience. I learned a lot, and I hope, gave something towards keeping faith with the Spaniards in their desperate struggle.”

Read about Mildred Rackley in our ALB database and in The Volunteer: https://albavolunteer.org/2020/03/new-mexico-volunteers-mildred-rackley/

10/12/2026

Harold Wilhelm Stone was born in Bismark, Nebraska, 1915. He worked as a truck driver as a teen and joined the Young Communist League at the age of 15. He arrived in Spain on March 7, 1937 and served with the 1st Regiment de Tren; 15th Army Corps Transport and Medical. He served at Brunete, Teruel, Retreats, and the Ebro Offensive and was WIA September 21, 1938. Harold returned to the US on December 15, 1938 aboard the Paris. He was later married to Genevieve Anne Stone, but not much is known about his life after Spain (yet!). He died on October 19, 1987 and is buried in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.

10/11/2026

Samuel McDonald Wiley was born in Fawn Grove, PA, 1908. He served in ROTC at Penn State and went to Union Theological Seminary until he joined the CPUSA in 1934. He married Adeline Ruggerio on August 8, 1936. He worked on his fathers’ farm and as a gunsmith for Wi******er.

Samuel went by Donald Wiley when he arrived in Spain on June 1, 1937. He served with ALB as a machine gunner and was noted as “brave to point of recklessness under fire.” He returned to the US on December 20, 1938. He lived and worked in CT, where he passed on August 29, 2000.

10/10/2026

Milan Zecevich was born in Gary, Indiana, 1912. He worked as a sailor and joined the National Maritime Union before he arrived in Spain on July 15, 1937. He was WIA on September 5, 1937 at Belchite (struck in the hand and left lung by bullets) and on August 17, 1938 at Serra de Pándols (wounded in the legs by mortar shells).

Milan returned to the US by December 20, 1938. Milan also went by Zecovic while in Spain and Zecovigh after. He served in the Merchant Marines until he was KIA when his ship, Prusa, was torpedoed in the Pacific near Hawaii on December 19, 1941. He was 29 years old.

10/09/2026

Erik Anderson was born in Sweden, 1909. He emigrated to the US in 1928 as a young adult and lived in Connecticut. He worked in a factory and was a member of the CPUSA. He sailed for Spain on March 12, 1937 aboard the Ile de France and served with ALB.

Erik Anderson was WIA in the summer of 1937 but recovered to see action again. Erik participated in the Ebro Offensive during the summer of '39, but was MIA in September 1938. He was one of tens of thousands of Loyalist casualties from the Offensive.

Consider honoring Erik and other ALB volunteers by giving to the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, dedicated to keeping their memory alive: https://alba-valb.org/donate/

10/08/2026

Mark Powell Hyde was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1881. He attended UMich and Stanford at the turn of the century. He served in the Canadian Army during WWI and was WIA in Belgium. He was a writer and published two novels: The Strange Inventor (1927) and The Singing Sword (1930) prior to joining CPUSA in 1932.

For a time, Mark worked as government clerk and was a member of the AFGE. At the age of 56 he volunteered for Spain and arrived by boat on May 20, 1937. He served with ALB at Albacete working for the Banco de España. He returned to the US on December 20, 1938. He lived in China for a decade before he passed on June 2, 1952 in Nice, France.

10/07/2026

Milton Wolff was born in Brooklyn, 1915. He attended commercial art school for a year before he worked for the CCC. He joined the YCL in 1936 and arrived in Spain on March 7, 1937. He served with ALB as a stretcher bearer and machine gunner before he became an officer.

Milton was the last commander of ALB before he returned to the US on December 15, 1938. He later served with the British SOE, US Army and OSS in WWII.
After the wars, he became National Commander of VALB and was active with the US Committee for a Democratic Spain.

Milton led VALB as a center for anti-fascist activism in the US, Spain, Nicaragua, and South Africa. His obituary in the noted “he even offered the services of the aging veterans of the Lincoln Brigade to the North Vietnamese leader, Ho Chi Minh, who declined them.”

Milton also wrote two autobiographical novels: Another Hill (1994) about his time in Spain and A Member Of The Working Class (2005) about his time before Spain. He intended to publish another novel about his time after Spain before he passed on January 14, 2008.

10/06/2026

William (Bill) Sennett (né Snesetsky or Snestzki) was born and raised in Chicago, where he participated in hunger marches, organizing in the South Side Black community and other political activities with the Young Communist League. He was a metalworker, living in Cicero, IL, when he volunteered for service on the Loyalist side in the Spanish Civil War. He arrived in Spain in March 1937 and served in the International Brigades as political commissar of a transportation regimen. His brother, Maurice (or Morris), also served in Spain.

Bill Sennett served in the army air force during World War II teaching reading and writing to illiterate soldiers. After WWII he returned to Chicago to organize for the Communist Party. He broke with the Party after 1956, moved his family to California and eventually became a successful businessman as president of a multimillion-dollar trucking business headquartered in San Francisco.

10/02/2026

Making Memory Visible: Anti-Fascism, UC Berkeley, and The Spanish Civil War
Saturday, November 7 | 1PM PT
David Brower Center | Berkeley, CA

Join us on November 7 for a live gathering in Berkeley to celebrate the legacy of the Lincoln Brigade in community with a day of inspiring panels examining anti-fascism, music, poetry, a catered reception, and concluding with a film screening of Into the Fire.

As a part of a weekend of activities related to the unveiling of The Robert H. Merriman Memorial Plaque on the UC Berkeley campus, ALBA is excited to host this substantive gathering, and we hope to see you there.

Tickets are free, but registration is required.

View the full program and get your tickets here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/making-memory-visible-anti-fascism-uc-berkeley-and-the-spanish-civil-war-tickets-2002094286907?aff=oddtdtcreator

Navigate here to learn more about the full November weekend of activities taking place in Berkeley as a part of Making Memory Visible: Anti-Fascism, UC Berkeley, and The Spanish Civil War:

https://alba-valb.org/making-memory-visible-anti-fascism-uc-berkeley-and-the-spanish-civil-war/

10/01/2026

ALBA board member Peter Glazer will be participating in the following exhibition with Greylock Together. Check it out here!

The Arts of Resistance, Presented by Greylock Together