Re: "Untold story in plain view," July 27.
It was great to see the story by Cory Ruf on the untold story of the Canadian volunteers who fought against Franco's Spanish fascists in the 1930s.
One of the volunteers in the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion mentioned was Louis Tellier, my old softball coach and a great guy.
Louis, like my father, had a tough time in the Dirty Thirties, but he recognized the Fascist threat early and volunteered.
He and his comrades made an important contribution in keeping Franco's Spain out of the Second World War and in helping the Allies and my father eventually prevail over the Nazis. They deserve a lot more recognition for their heroic sacrifices in the fight for true democracy and on behalf of all Canadians. They should be regarded as legitimate Canadian war veterans.
The monument at Menzies and Belleville streets is but a good start of that recognition.
Deryck Cowling
Nanaimo
