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Oliver Law

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Gun Crew Company Commander in the attack on Mosquito Crest in Villanueva de la Canada. Serving with him on the same gun crew were two other Americans, Walter Garland and Douglas Roach.

The US people, white and Black, will some day acknowledge the contributions and anti-fascist heroism of the Communist Oliver Law and all other Afro-Americans in their sacrifice in the struggle for freedom of the Afro-Americans and all peoples from capitalist oppression.

The losses suffered by the Lincoln Battalion on the 23rd of February, 1937 in the Jarama front made mandatory appointments of new commands.

The machine gun company command passed to Oliver Law, a Chicago-based Afro-American in his early thirties. His proven coolness, ability and previous experiences and his proven coolness under fire in the February 23rd attack earned him his promotion.

In her diary while visiting the VALB during the Holiday Season of 1937, the wife of Paul Robeson, Eslanda Goode Robeson, said the following regarding Oliver Law:

"Monday, January 31. As we drove along we learned the story of Oliver Law. It seems he was a Negro--about 33--who was a former army man from Chicago. Quiet, dark brown, dignified, strongly built. All the men like him. He began here as corporal, soon rose to sergeant, lieutenant, captain and finally

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[[image -Commanders of the different battalions in the XVth International Brigade. Left to right, the Black commander of the Washington Battalion, Oliver Law; Captain Saul of the French April 16 Battalion; Fred Copeman of the British Battalion, an American from Brigade HQ; the Commander of the Dabrowsky Battalion, two Spanish Battalion commanders.]]

was commander of the Battalion-- the Lincoln-Washington Battalion...many officers and men here in Spain considered him the best battalion commander in Spain. They liked him, trusted him, respected him and served him with confidence and willingly."

Eslanda continues to quote a story she was told regarding an incident. 

"...when the battalion was visited by an old Colonel, Southern, of the U.S. Army. He said to Law- 'Er, I see you are in a Captain's uniform?' Law replied with dignity, 'Yes, I am, because I am a Captain. In America, in your army, I could only rise as high as corporal, but here people feel differently about race and I can rise according to my worth, not according to my color!' Whereupon the Colonel hemmed and hawed and finally came out with: 'I'm sure your people must be proud of you, my boy.' 'Yes, said Law. 'I'm sure they are!'

"...Law rose from rank to rank on sheer merit. He kept up the morale of his men. He always had a big smile when they won their objectives and an encouraging smile when they lost. He never said very much.

"Law led his men in charge after charge at Brunete, and was finally wounded seriously by a sniper...

"On the way up the hill another sniper shot Law, on the stretcher; the sniper's bullet landed in his groin and he began to lose blood rapidly. They did what they could to stop the blood, hurriedly putting down the stretcher. But in a few minutes the loss of blood was so great that Law died."

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