Alonzo Watson facts for kids
Alonzo Watson (1891 –1937) was an American who volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). He fought for the side known as the Loyalists and died during the war.
About Alonzo Watson
Alonzo Watson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1891. He had already served as a soldier in World War I. He was also a painter. Later, he moved to New York City. In the 1930s, he joined a political group called the Communist Party USA. They worked to help people in the Harlem area of New York.
In December 1936, Alonzo Watson traveled to Spain on a ship called the SS Normandie. He was one of the first Americans to join a special group of volunteers. This group was known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was mostly made up of Americans. They supported the government of Spain, called the Second Spanish Republic. They fought against a rebellion led by General Francisco Franco. The Lincoln Brigade was special because it was the first American fighting group that included people of all races working together.
Alonzo Watson died in February 1937 during a major battle called the Battle of Jarama. Another soldier, John Tisa, remembered that Watson died fighting hand-to-hand.
Alonzo Watson is mentioned briefly in two books. He appears as a historical character in Captain Blackman (1972) by John A. Williams. He is also in Bruce Palmer's They Shall Not Pass: A Novel of the Spanish Civil War (1971).
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