Thomas Jefferson. John Adams. Benjamin Franklin. George Washington. These are the founding fathers of what would become the United States of America. The Basque community in the United States has, in some sense, our own founding father. Along with his brother Bernardo, Pedro Altube was the catalyst of the Basques’ strong role in the livestock industry, first with cattle and then sheep. Because of him and his partners, hundreds of Basques, and along with them their friends and family, came to the United States seeking opportunity.
Pedro Altube upon his horse at Spanish Ranch with his brother Bernardo looking on. Photo from Basques in California.
Pedro Altube was born on April (some sources say May) 27, 1827, in Oñati, Gipuzkoa, in a baserri named Zugastegi. He wasn’t the first of his family to leave the Basque Country. An older brother, Santiago, and two step-brothers already lived in Argentina and three more step-brothers lived in Uruguay by the time Altube left home.
At the age of 18, in 1845, Altube boarded the Yrurac-bat, heading to Buenos Aires, a trip financed by his brother. Three years later, he did the same for his younger brother Bernardo. But, in 1850, Pedro, Bernardo, and another thirty Basques left Argentina for San Francisco, excited by the discovery of gold. They reached California in 1851. However, they quickly discovered that livestock was more profitable than mining for gold. Joining other Basques, they entered the cattle trading business, driving cattle from southern to northern California, trying to avoid, amongst other obstacles, the bandit Joaquin Murrieta.
The brothers were very successful, first starting a dairy where Stanford University now stands. They then purchased Rancho Los Vaqueros with three other Basques. Together, they were very prosperous, until a series of tragedies hit, including both brothers losing numerous children and then all of their livestock.
Deciding to start over, in 1871 the brothers bought 3000 head of cattle in Mexico and moved them to Independence Valley, near Elko, Nevada, where they established the famed Spanish Ranch. From this beginning, they built a cattle empire in northern Nevada. Their success led to their nephews and a niece joining them from the Basque Country. It was only in 1900 that the brothers introduced sheep into their business; before that, it was all cattle. By 1907, when the brothers sold their holdings, they had 20,000 sheep, 20,000 cattle, 2000 horses, and 400,000 acres.
Back in 1853 in San Francisco, Pedro had married fellow Basque Marie Ihitzague. They had seven daughters. Upon his retirement, the family moved from Nevada back to San Francisco. Pedro was also known to hire a man to read him books, since he himself couldn’t read English, on topics ranging from history to science.
During his life, Pedro became almost mythical. Standing at 6 foot 6, he was nicknamed “Palo Alto.” He was known for his horse riding and poker skills. He would greet people with his flask of whiskey, saying “Hey sonofabitch my friend, come and drink with me.” He employed hundreds of Basques and was the force behind much of Basque immigration to the region. In 1960, called the “Father of Basques in America,” he was named to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. He died on August 8, 1905.
The three of them carefully made their way to what they presumed was de Lancre’s master suite, the nanobots creating new doorways for them as they went. De Lancre’s suite was in the center of the floor, presumably to best shield it from any outside forces.
The Adventures of Maite and Kepa is a weekly serial. While it is a work of fiction, it has elements from both my own experiences and stories I’ve heard from various people. The characters, while in some cases inspired by real people, aren’t directly modeled on anyone in particular. I expect there will be inconsistencies and factual errors. I don’t know where it is going, and I’ll probably forget where it’s been. Why am I doing this? To give me an excuse and a deadline for some creative writing and because I thought people might enjoy it. Gozatu!
Latxe jabbed at the tablet again and a new door opened up in front of them to de Lancre’s suite. Just as the doorway had appeared, Kepa saw a bright light. “Duck!” he yelled, pushing Latxe to the side as he tackled Maite. A bolt of lightning flashed above their heads, smashing into the walls behind them.
De Lancre’s enraged voice echoed across the room. “Did you think to fool me so easily?” he bellowed. “I knew exactly where you were.”
Kepa peeked out through the doorway. De Lancre stood in the middle of his room. His left arm, all mangled, hung limply by his side. But his right was raised, ready to strike.
De Lancre let out a scream. Kepa saw his left arm begin to twist and contort as it was being reshaped.
“The nanobots…” Kepa began.
“Not on my watch, you son of a bitch.” Latxe had also been peeking through the doorway and saw how de Lancre had begun healing his arm. She swiped at her tablet. De Lancre’s arm stopped moving for a moment and then began to twist in unnatural ways. De Lancre fell to his knees, screaming.
“I thought you said the nanobots couldn’t hurt anyone!” exclaimed Kepa.
Latxe gave him a cold look. “They can’t unless I hijack them.”
“You’re torturing him!” yelled Maite over de Lancre’s screams.
“Any more than he tortured us?” responded Latxe, all warmth completely gone from her voice.
Maite winced as she heard the loud snap of one of de Lancre’s bones break. This time, he barely let out a whimper.
“Gelditu,” said Kepa, firmly. “Stop.” He held out his hand. Latxe looked down at her tablet then at Kepa. Tears welled in her eyes. Her hands quivered. But, after what seemed like an eternity, she placed the tablet in Kepa’s hands.
“Sentitzen dut,” she whispered as she slumped against the wall. “I’m sorry.”
Kepa bent over and kissed her on the forehead before turning to Maite and walking into the suite toward de Lancre’s mangled body.
If you get this post via email, the return-to address goes no where, so please write blas@buber.net if you want to get in touch with me.
Most of us who have Basque heritage in the western United States trace that connection to the Basque sheepherders that, in years past, dotted the entire western landscape. My dad came over when he was 18 years old, drawn by the promise of economic opportunity and his three uncles who were already here herding. These men and women were the foundation of a vibrant diaspora that has garnered the respect of their neighbors and become pillars of their community.
My great-uncle Juan Uberuaga on his horse with his dog at his sheep wagon. Photo shared with me by Juan’s son Jon Uberuaga.
Livestock was introduced to what we now call the Basque Country sometime around 2500 BCE through North Africa. The importance of livestock to the early Basque economy and lifestyle is attested by the fact that the word for wealth – aberastasuna – literally means “possession of herds.” In fact, herding predates agriculture in the Basque Country, with more native words associated with livestock than are used in agriculture.
In the Basque Country, there were large herds of sheep — in excess of hundreds of thousands — through which some Basques could make their fortune. Herders would partner until their herds got so big and then split into two new bands, increasing their individual success. In 1841, new customs were implemented at the French-Spanish border which hindered the herding model that Basques had developed. Some left, going to places like Argentina, where they took their model and proved very successful. Eventually, some of these Basques made their way to California, particularly after gold was discovered, and established a similar system there. In fact, early herders were paid in sheep, not money, and this let them establish their own herds.
Despite this long history with livestock, and sheep in particular, many of the Basques that immigrated to the western United States didn’t have so much experience with sheep. If they did, they had watched small family herds that they took to nearby pastures. They were not accustomed to the long transhumance practiced in the United States, in which animals were moved long distances between seasons.
Since at least the early 1900s, Basques would come to the United States on a three-year contract to herd sheep. They needed little, as they wouldn’t have a permanent home, and most were single.
While today, the Basque sheepherder is a romantic figure, that wasn’t always the case. In the late 1800s and 1900s, they were looked down upon, particularly by cattle people. They were called “dirty black Basques” and other names. Because they were foreign and they didn’t buy land, American cattle ranchers did not think the herders deserved the same rights as they did. This tension could lead to violence. Laws such as the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 protected grazing rights for ranchers, but not sheepherders.
Further, immigration from Spain was limited – in 1924 only 131 Spanish could enter the country. That changed in 1950, when Nevada Senator Patrick McCarran sponsored a bill that eventually became the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 and which boosted recruitment of Spanish herders. Again, herders could come on a three-year contract, and potentially return a second time. The three-year contract was enforced to ensure that the herders didn’t reach the five-year residency qualification mark. The Western Range Association, established in 1960, led the selection of herders and this happened in the consulate in Bilbao, leading to almost exclusive selection of Basques as new herders.
The three-year contracts were for $200-$300 per month. The contracts also stipulated that the herder had to pay their way to the United States (though the Association often paid and then took the costs from wages) and could not work for anyone other than the Association. Amongst other things, the Association promised to pay funeral expenses if the herder died during employment. The herders could also gain permanent residency through their contracts and, in 1976, some 2000 herders became permanent residents. Eventually, however, the economic situation in Spain improved enough such that emigrating to the United States was no longer attractive.
Life as a herder was lonely. Young men would be put to work in the mountains, often alone or with a partner. While a foreman would come to deliver supplies periodically, it was still a lonely life. Many herders went crazy from the isolation – they would become “sagebrushed.” Some simply couldn’t handle it and committed suicide – my dad told me of one herder that returned to the Basque Country and ended up shooting himself in his ancestral baserri, not far from where my dad grew up. These herders also left their mark on the landscape through their carvings on the aspen trees, a visual historical record that is still providing new insight into their lives.
Latxe jabbed and swiped at her tablet. A bridge started materializing across the gap between the balcony and the building across the way. It wasn’t very wide, and didn’t look very secure, just floating like that.
The Adventures of Maite and Kepa is a weekly serial. While it is a work of fiction, it has elements from both my own experiences and stories I’ve heard from various people. The characters, while in some cases inspired by real people, aren’t directly modeled on anyone in particular. I expect there will be inconsistencies and factual errors. I don’t know where it is going, and I’ll probably forget where it’s been. Why am I doing this? To give me an excuse and a deadline for some creative writing and because I thought people might enjoy it. Gozatu!
“We can’t go,” protested Maite. “We have to get that zatia.”
“And we will,” replied Latxe. “This will just make him think we left.”
“Ah…” began Maite before Latxe interrupted her.
“We need a good hiding place, away from this room.”
“My room,” said Maite pointing to the door across the way. “Is that far enough?”
“It will have to be,” said Latxe as she ushered them all into the room Maite had been calling home the last few days. In the background, they continued to hear de Lancre’s rampage, as lightning crashed into walls from the floor below.
“Now what?” asked Maite.
“I’m going to bring the building down on him.” She swiped at her tablet. The door open, Maite and Kepa watched as a thin gap appeared around the edge of the room outside, starting at both ends and quickly marching across the perimeter.
“The nanobots are eating away the entire support of the floor?” Kepa asked, barely containing his amazement.
Latex nodded. “The whole floor will fall in bat… bi…”
Before she could say “hiru” the floor suddenly fell. They could all hear screaming and shouting from below and then a loud thud as the floor smashed into the floor below them.
“Hopefully that takes care of…” began Latxe before lightning burst through the cavernous hole in front of them, arcing and spraying in all directions. The three of them huddled into the back of Maite’s room.
“We’re trapped!” exclaimed Maite.
Latxe jabbed at her tablet and in moments an opening appeared in the back of Maite’s room.
“Let’s go,” said Latxe as she entered the darkness in front of her. “Even if we didn’t get him, he’ll think we escaped across the bridge and hopefully chase us there.”
“We need to get to his suite,” said Maite. “I’m sure that is where he’ll keep the zatia.”
Latxe nodded as she continued to swipe at the tablet. “Which way?”
Maite shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’ve never been there…”
“Hold on a moment,” said Latxe as she stared at her tablet, poking at the screen. “Here,” she said, holding it up and displaying a map of the floor. “I assume this large room here is his.”
“How?” began Maite.
“The nanobots. They can do more than build and destroy. I used them to map the floor.”
Kepa shook his head. “Like magic.”
Latxe laughed. “Except, it’s not.”
If you get this post via email, the return-to address goes no where, so please write blas@buber.net if you want to get in touch with me.
This article originally appeared in Spanish at Euskalkultura.eus on May 27, 2022.
A young Alberto Arregui (left), just 17 years old, poses with his father, Gipuzkoan Francisco Arregui, and his brother Eduardo, around 1930, in Lima, Peru. (Photo courtesy of Marita Arregui).
As the Basque-Chilean musician Alberto Arregui contemplated the Statue of Liberty as he entered the Port of New York, the words of Carl Vincent Krogmann, the mayor of the German city of Hamburg, echoed in his head, “Why did you not join us in the salute? Do you not feel sympathy with our cause?” [1]. Alberto — who was fluent in French, German, English and Flemish, in addition to his native Spanish — was working for the Chilean Consulate in Hamburg, when he was forced to flee Germany to save his life [2] .
During a reception organized by the Consulate, Krogmann, who had been invited to the event, gave a speech about the superiority of German culture. The mayor concluded his talk with the usual Nazi salute of “Heil Hitler.” The attendees responded to the greeting by raising their arms. However, Alberto did not. The next morning, two Gestapo men delivered a notice to the Consulate ordering Alberto to leave the country within 24 hours [3]. His time in Nazi Europe had come to an end. On January 20, 1943, Chile broke off relations with the Axis.
From Antwerp to New York via Hamburg
Alberto’s European journey had begun in 1939. Being a tenor, he had come to Europe to continue his music studies. At the university in the Belgian city of Antwerp, he studied for a couple of years, until the invasion of Belgium by Germany — beginning on May 10, 1940 — and their subsequent occupation of the country interrupted his studies. Antwerp was targeted by both the German Luftwaffe from the start of the war as well as by the Allied air forces in their attempt to dissuade Nazi forces from taking control of the city’s strategic port.
Marita Arregui, Alberto’s daughter, told us about a painting she has in her house that was painted during the war by Emil Kammerer, “a Jewish man whose daughter my father got out of Belgium saying she was his wife. This man gave this to my father in recognition to taking his daughter to Irún.” This act speaks for itself of Alberto’s humanity and courage. Following the invasion, the persecution of Belgian Jews began very early, first by excluding them from economic and public life and then followed by their deportation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. It is estimated that 25,000 of them were killed [4]. After Antwerp, Alberto had the opportunity to resume his studies, this time in Hamburg, being employed at the Chilean Consulate.
Portrait of Alberto Arregui in the uniform of a United States Army soldier painted by Emil Kammerer in 1945. Although the whereabouts of the Kammerers are unknown, Alberto certainly continued in contact with them during or at the end of the war which, apparently and fortunately, they survived (photo courtesy of Marita Arregui).
“Echoes of two wars, 1936-1945” aims to disseminate the stories of those Basques and Navarrese who participated in two of the warfare events that defined the future of much of the 20th century. With this blog, the intention of the Sancho de Beurko Association is to rescue from anonymity the thousands of people who constitute the backbone of the historical memory of the Basque and Navarre communities, on both sides of the Pyrenees, and their diasporas of emigrants and descendants, with a primary emphasis on the United States, during the period from 1936 to 1945.
THE AUTHORS Guillermo Tabernilla is a researcher and founder of the Sancho de Beurko Association, a non-profit organization that studies the history of the Basques and Navarrese from both sides of the Pyrenees in the Spanish Civil War and in World War II. He is currently their secretary and community manager. He is also editor of the digital magazine Saibigain. Between 2008 and 2016 he directed the catalog of the “Iron Belt” for the Heritage Directorate of the Basque Government and is, together with Pedro J. Oiarzabal, principal investigator of the Fighting Basques Project, a memory project on the Basques and Navarrese in the Second World War in collaboration with the federation of Basque Organizations of North America.
Pedro J. Oiarzabal is a Doctor in Political Science-Basque Studies, granted by the University of Nevada, Reno (USA). For two decades, his work has focused on research and consulting on public policies (citizenship abroad and return), diasporas and new technologies, and social and historical memory (oral history, migration and exile), with special emphasis on the Basque case. He is the author of more than twenty publications. He has authored the blog “Basque Identity 2.0” by EITB and “Diaspora Bizia” by EuskalKultura.eus. On Twitter @Oiarzabal.
Josu M. Aguirregabiria is a researcher and founder of the Sancho de Beurko Association and is currently its president. A specialist in the Civil War in Álava, he is the author of several publications related to this topic, among which “La batalla de Villarreal de Álava” (2015) y “Seis días de guerra en el frente de Álava. Comienza la ofensiva de Mola” (2018) stand out.
Stopping Hitler
Immediately after landing in New York in September 1943, Alberto headed to the nearest army recruiting center with the sole goal in mind of stopping Adolf Hitler. “A story that reads like that one of the Knights of King Arthur’s Court going to fight in the Crusades is that of Alberto H. Arregui, of Lima, Peru,” wrote Private David A. Bridewell in a November 1943 military newspaper about the man who would become his comrade in arms. “His experiences in Germany and his observation of conditions in Europe,” Bridewell explained, “convinced him that Nazism should be crushed, and he should help the allies by fighting with them” [5].
However, his hope of enlisting was momentarily dashed. The recruiting agent turned him down not only because he was a foreigner but because he was not registered with the Selective Service System, which required at the time that all men between the ages of 21 and 45 register for compulsory military service. “A letter written by the American Embassy in Peru cleared these hurdles for him” [6]. After the draft center, Alberto was sent to a local draft board in New York City. Skipping the times established by the protocols, Alberto even rejected the mandatory three-week leave granted to all recruits to be able to organize their civil affairs before joining military life. He just wanted to join the army. There was no time to lose. Alberto was admitted on September 25, 1943 in New York City. He was 30 years old.
From Gipuzkoa to Peru, passing through Chile
The son of Francisco Arregui Berasaluce and Adela Herrera Heredia, Alberto was born on March 15, 1913 in Santiago de Chile. Francisco, born in 1886 in the Belozaki farmhouse in Mendaro, Gipuzkoa, had emigrated to Chile around 1908, following in the footsteps of his cousins. He made his way via Mendoza, Argentina, crossing the Andes mountain range by the Puente del Inca. “He was very proud of his Basque heritage,” Marita confessed to us. It was a legacy that he faithfully passed on to his descendants.
His mother was born in 1890 in Santa Rosa de Los Andes, Valparaíso, Chile, to a Spanish family settled in Los Andes, San Felipe. It was in Adela’s hometown that Alberto’s parents married in 1910, subsequently establishing their domicile in the country’s capital. Alberto’s siblings were born there: Eduardo in 1911 and Inés in 1919. By that time, Santiago de Chile had become an important destination for Basque emigration. In fact, in 1912 the Basque community in the city had founded the Centro Vasco, which celebrated 110 years of uninterrupted existence this year. In 1915, part of the Basque community of Valparaíso organized the Chilean Basque Center for Mutual Aid [7].
Adela died in 1919 giving birth to Inés, a tragic event that marked Alberto for life. He was six years old at the time, while Eduardo was eight (his father died in 1976, in Lima; Eduardo had died a year earlier). Around 1920 the family moved to Peru, with Alberto and his brother staying in Santiago de Chile, where they were interned at the Colegio de San Ignacio for a few years. Summers were spent in Chillán, in the south of Chile, at the home of relatives. Around 1928, Alberto and his brother moved permanently to Lima, where their father had a felt hat factory, Industrial Sombrerera S.A., founded in 1928. In 1931 he opened another factory, also in Lima, under the name of Arregui y Cía S.A.
Liberating Europe
Once enlisted, Alberto was sent from New York to Fort Sill, near Lawton, Oklahoma, for training with the 29th Field Artillery Battalion. He would finally be assigned to Battery B of that battalion.
Alberto Arregui poses with a Thompson submachine gun, possibly during his training period (courtesy Marita Arregui).
The 29th Battalion was the main fire support for the 4th Division’s 8th Infantry Regiment since its deployment to the European Theater of Operations. According to the commander of the 29th, Joel T. Thomason, “The battalion with a 15% over strength to cover initial casualties, consisted of about 700 men including 45 officers. The unit was equipped with self-propelled 105 mm howitzers, M-7s” [8]. M105 howitzers were mounted on M7 tracked vehicles. In the words of Irving Smolens, Alberto’s partner in Battery B, “The normal crew for a gun consisted of 12 men. Six men were designated as the “active” crew, and six were designated as ‘reserve.’ Only 3 men were actually needed,” Smolens clarified, “to aim, load, and fire the gun once it was in position” [9].
During World War II, the 29th participated in five major campaigns — Normandy, Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe — in four countries — France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany [10].
Normandy: Landing on D-Day at Utah Beach
“As the darkness gave way to early morning light, I could see a vast armada of boats and ships of all types; it was an awe-inspiring sight. They were so numerous that it appeared one could walk from England to France on them. The atmosphere was electric with excitement and that was my feeling- – one of great excitement. This was the day for which we had trained and awaited so long” [11]. This is how Thomason described the first wave of the H-Hour D-Day assault.
Alberto and his comrades from the 29th Artillery Battalion had arrived in Axminster, England, in January 1944, beginning intense amphibious training at Slapton Sands between February and May. They became the first artillery unit to land on Utah Beach, Normandy, on D-Day. “During the invasion,” Private Smolens explained, “the batteries would fire [high trajectory shells onto the invaded beaches in close support of our infantry] from the deck of the LCT’s [Landing Craft Tanks]. Our M7’s were loaded on the LCT’s two in front, and two in back, each with their ‘active’ crew. The ‘reserve’ crews were located on other boats” [12].
John C. Ausland, liaison officer with the 29th, arrived on the same landing craft as Colonel James Van Fleet, commander of the 8th Infantry Regiment, on the initial assault on Utah Beach. He wrote how “the sound of loud explosions from aircraft bombs and naval shells left no doubt that the beach was an inferno… When the landing craft hit the beach and the front ramp went down, I waded through some shallow water and ran to the shelter of the seawall that ran along the beach – barely glancing at several soldiers who were lying on the sand as though asleep. I could hear rifle and machine-gun fire beyond the dunes, and some mortar shells fell not too far away” [13]. Ausland’s mission on the ground was to guide the 29th’s three artillery batteries into firing positions. However, he soon learned from Thomason that one of the batteries had been destroyed.
In the image a group of landing craft LCT (5) in the Port of Falmouth, England, during May and June 1944, in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. The LCT-209 is loaded with two M26 Armored Heavy Tank Transporter/Tank Recovery Tractors. (Photo from US National Archives; NavSource Naval History, http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/18/1018020902.jpg).
During the first hours of the invasion, the 29th lost an entire gun battery when the landing craft (LCT-5) carrying it collided with an enemy mine floating a mile offshore. This was the assault element of Battery B, which consisted of four howitzers. It sank almost immediately. This was reported by Peter N. Russo, a witness to that event, and at that time a member of Battery C; later when Battery B was reformed, Russo would be transferred to the new Battery B, as crew chief of the number one artillery piece.
“Daylight was now approaching and the volume of planes flying overhead was noticed. Bombs were landing on the beach, in hopes of destroying enemy guns emplacements. The Navy guns joined in pelting the same area. […] Our attention was diverted by a large boom to our left flank and not more than 50 feet to our center. The boom was followed by a huge puff of smoke. B Battery was leading the Battalion Artillery toward the landing site on Normandy. It struck a mine in the water and was gone. We could see very little debris and a few bodies as we rode by. All on our landing craft tanks were up and looking at what was left of B Battery personnel, the landing craft and the equipment. Sea sickness was replaced with horror and fear. We were introduced to our first combat exposure. We focused on the enemy artillery rippling along our landing zone and thought about the losses to be added to that of B Battery. […] Not a sound was to be heard on this craft until we landed. We became seasoned veterans before one round was fired in support of our Infantry” [14].
As described by John K. Lester, another member of Battery B and a Jeep driver for a forward observation party, “When I reached the beach on another landing craft and learned of the loss, I was devastated. How quickly I lost so many good friends and buddies. What a way to enter into conflict. The rest of that day draws a blank. I can’t recall much of anything. […] We didn’t know what was happening. Everything was very confused” [15].
A total of 59 officers and soldiers were wounded, with 39 killed. The remaining 20 were seriously injured to such an extent that only 3 or 4 were able to return to active duty and rejoin their comrades months later. The 29th “had lost one-third of its firepower before we even entered combat… That was a great tragedy,” Thomason stated [16]. The reason Alberto and the rest of his mates from Battery B, including Smolens, survived was that they were not ‘active’ personnel and were held in reserve on another ship. In the late afternoon, towards nightfall, Alberto and the remaining men of Battery B were transported to the beach. They had been very lucky. As Thomason noted, “Of the 28,000 men landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, the total casualties were remarkably light — just under 200. Unfortunately about one-third of that number came from one small artillery battalion — the 29th Field Artillery Battalion” [17]. The 29th was awarded the Presidential Citation for their part on D-Day in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
From the Liberation of Paris to Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945
As its main fire support unit, the 29th Artillery Battalion continued to support the 8th Infantry Regiment during 11 months of combat in continental Europe, taking part in the capture of Cherbourg, the drive towards St. Lo., the liberation of Paris and Belgium, at the entry into Germany in September 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, at the crossing of the Rhine River in March 1945, and at the end of the war in Bavaria in May 1945. Due to the fierce fight carried out in the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest by the 29th, they were baptized by the Wehrmacht as “The beasts of the Hürtgen Forest.” Right at the beginning of this battle, the Basque-New Yorker Julián Oleaga, a soldier from Company B of the 1st Battalion of the 18th Regiment of the mythical 1st Infantry Division, the “Big Red One,” was wounded in combat on the outskirts of the city Aachen on September 18, 1944, for which he received the Purple Heart. Almost a year after his desperate flight from Nazi Europe, Alberto returned to Belgium and Germany, this time as a liberator.
“Somewhere in Germany, April 1945” reads the title of the photograph in which Alberto Arregui poses in a relaxed attitude (Photo courtesy of Marita Arregui).
The 29th Battalion also contributed its support to the French 2nd Armored Division in the liberation of Paris. “I was with the first Americans in Paris on August 25, 1944,” enthused Lester, a soldier from Battery B. “That was a most exciting day” [18]. According to his companion Smolens, “We were then designated as the division to liberate Paris, along with the 2nd French Armored Division. Our forward units, according to infantrymen with whom I have spoken, could have entered the city before the French, but were told to wait for the French. We penetrated to the heart of the city, around Notre Dame, the Place de La Concorde, the Hotel de Ville, and the notorious Police Headquarters. We were denied the honor of parading down the Champs Elysee. Our job was chasing Germans across the Seine River and Belgium, and into Germany” [19].
Alberto Arregui riding a Jeep from the French 2nd Armored Division, presumably in Paris, after its liberation (photo courtesy Marita Arregui).
The 29th Artillery Battalion fired a total of 182,000 rounds of ammunition at the enemy in Europe. The 4th Division returned to the United States in July 1945 to prepare for the invasion of Japan. However, the war ended before the invasion could take place [20]. Alberto and his companions were repatriated and Battery B was deactivated on February 14, 1946 at Camp Butter, North Carolina.
Alberto was discharged with honors with the rank of technical sergeant. Like all veterans of the US Armed Forces honorably discharged in World War II, Alberto also received a letter of recognition signed by President Harry S Truman [21].
“My father,” confessed Alberto’s daughter to us, “was very reserved specially when it came to the war and what happened during those years.” The testimonies of his comrades from Battery B that we have collected here speak for the silences that drowned Alberto’s voice for much of his life and faithfully convey to us the sensations of the first moments of the invasion of Normandy and the liberation of Paris.
Alberto received the American Defense Medal, the American Theater Medal, the European Theater of Operations ribbon with bronze arrowhead and five campaign stars, the German Army of Occupation Medal with clasp, the Presidential Citation, the Belgian War Cross, and the World War II Victory Medal. Despite his service to the country, he never obtained US citizenship.
He more than fulfilled the mission that prompted him to travel to New York for the first time. It was time to go home. Hamburg mayor Krogmann was arrested and interned in Bielefeld, Germany; he was fined 10,000 marks in August 1948 for belonging to a criminal organization. He was subsequently released. He passed away in 1978, at the age of 89.
From the United States to Lima, Peru
Upon his return to Lima, Alberto joined the family business. Unfortunately, his musical career was over. He became a Peruvian citizen after the war when he started working in the factory. In 1946 he met his future wife, La Vern Betty De Ny (born 1920 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, died 1995, in Lima) while she was visiting an uncle of hers who worked for City Bank in Lima.
They married in 1949 in La Vern’s hometown, establishing their residence in Lima. They had two children during their marriage: Francisco (Lima, 1951-2007) and Marita. Alberto directed the two family factories until his retirement.
Photo of the Arregui-De Ny family in 1960. From left to right: Marita, La Vern, Francisco, and Alberto. (Photo courtesy of Marita Arregui)
Alberto died in 1980 at the Clinica Anglo Americana in Lima, at the age of 67. In 2016, his sister Inés passed away, the last person of the first generation of the Arregui family born in Chile.
“Unfortunately, many things went unsaid and now more than ever I wish they would have been answered,” concludes Marita. “My father was a very extraordinary person, but two events marked his life. His mother’s premature death and the war. It’s not only fighting during the war but living a life after having taken part in it and live along side with the burdens and nightmares of a war. I always felt there were two Alberto Arregui, one covering up the other,” she asserts.
Just after the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, in a context marked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we want to remember all those men and women whose sacrifice made it possible to liberate Europe from the clutches of Nazi totalitarianism, and very particularly of those of Basque origin like Alberto, who, from different countries of the Basque diaspora, whether they were Argentina, Chile, Cuba, the Philippines, Mexico or Uruguay, joined the allied forces.
References
[1, 3, 5, 6] Bridewell, David Alexander. “Modern ‘Knight’ trains for his crusade after arguing way into Army”. (November 5, 1943). Bridewell (Forrest City, Arkansas, 1909-1999, Winnetka, Illinois) served in Battery B of the 29th Field Artillery Battalion and as a captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps.
[8, 11, 16, 17, 20] Thomason, Joel T. (April 30, 1994). “The 29th Field Artillery”. Thomason was appointed commander of the 29th Battalion on September 1, 1942, at the age of 24. On June 12, 1944, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
[13] Ausland, John C. “A soldier remembers Utah Beach.” The International Herald Tribune. (June 6, 1984). He is the author of “Letters home: A war memoir” (1993).
[21] Harry S Truman had also been trained in the Field Artillery at Fort Sill, commanding Company D of the 129th Field Artillery during the World War I.
Collaborate with ‘Echoes of two wars, 1936-1945.’
If you want to collaborate with “Echoes of two wars” send us an original article on any aspect of WWII or the Civil War and Basque or Navarre participation to the following email: sanchobeurko@gmail.com
It hasn’t been all that long that Basque studies started delving into Basque prehistory and the myths and legends that shaped the Basque world view. José Miguel de Barandiaran Ayerbe was a pioneer in these efforts, but he didn’t work alone and his student, Julio Caro Baroja – the nephew of one of the greatest writers of the early 1900s – followed in his footsteps and beyond, scouring the Basque countryside for any tidbit he could find, expanding our own view of what it means to be Basque.
Caro Baroja was born in Madrid on November 13, 1914, to Rafael Caro Raggio and Carmen Baroja. Rafael was the founder of the publishing house Editorial Caro Raggio while Carmen was an accomplished ethnographer and writer. His uncles were Pio and Ricardo. Though born in Madrid, Julio spent much of his childhood in the Nafarroan town of Bera with his uncle Pio. He published his first essay, on the nature and importance of the house in the town of Lesaka, when he was 15.
Even before starting his doctorate, he was working with Basque ethnographers José Miguel Barandiarán and Telesforo de Aranzadi. He got his doctorate in 1940 in ancient history and published his first book shortly after in 1941. He obtained a position with the Museo del Pueblo Español and spent time in the United State and the United Kingdom studying both anthropology and ethnology.
He had a particular interest in witchcraft, which grew from a childhood where the people around him believed in the supernatural. This eventually led to his book The World of the Witches, which looks beyond the Basque Country to the history of witchcraft in Europe more broadly, though with an emphasis on Basque witches.
Caro Baroja published some 30 books and many more monographs, articles, and essays, many dealing with the Basque Country. A collection of his essays, translated into English and downloadable for free, was published by the Center for Basque Studies Press. His life’s work, Los Vascos (The Basques), also downloadable, touches on all aspects of Basque culture, from the nature of Basque towns and their economies to the social life of the Basques.
In addition to his interests in the Basques, Caro Baroja also researched and published on minority communities, including the crypto-Jews and the Moors of Granada. In fact, when he was inducted into the Real Academia de la Historia, his speech dealt with the topic of the crypto-Jews.
Caro Baroja died on August 18, 1995, in Bera. By that time, he had received numerous accolades for his work, including being named to multiple academies such as Euskaltzaindia (the Royal Academy of the Basque Language). He received the Prince of Asturias Prize for Social Sciences and a square in Donostia is named for him.
Not sure if anyone missed this since I didn’t get a chance to post last week, but just in case, here is an extra long installment… 🙂
De Lancre stood in the shattered door frame, his face glowing in a sickly pale blue light as shadows danced across his features. His hands, held up and by his side, crackled with the same lightning that Maite remembered from their first encounter, the same lightning that de Lancre had used to literally fry Blas Telleria to death. She repressed a gag as the smell of burning flesh suddenly came back to her.
“I’m starting to get tired of this magic bullshit,” said Latxe as she stared at the snarling man at the end of the hall.
The Adventures of Maite and Kepa is a weekly serial. While it is a work of fiction, it has elements from both my own experiences and stories I’ve heard from various people. The characters, while in some cases inspired by real people, aren’t directly modeled on anyone in particular. I expect there will be inconsistencies and factual errors. I don’t know where it is going, and I’ll probably forget where it’s been. Why am I doing this? To give me an excuse and a deadline for some creative writing and because I thought people might enjoy it. Gozatu!
“I can fix that!” barked de Lancre as he thrust his hand forward and a lightning bolt burst from his open palm.
Latxe jabbed at her tablet and suddenly a metal wall appeared between them and de Lancre, intercepting the lightning bolt before it could reach them. She jabbed a few more times and an opening appeared in the floor behind them.
“Come on,” yelled Kepa as he grabbed Maite’s hand. “Goazen! Let’s go.”
Maite shook her head. “Ez, that’s where he’ll think we went.” She pointed over at the balcony. “That way.”
Kepa nodded as Maite led him and Latxe away from the hole in the floor and to the balcony, where they hid behind the wall. They could feel the heat on the metal wall Latxe had conjured intensify, until it suddenly melted into a pool of slag. Maite dared a peak around the wall and was stunned to watch de Lancre walk through the molten metal seemingly without harm. He reached the hole in the floor and, without hesitation, jumped into it.
Latxe was looking over the balcony’s railing. “I think I can have the nanobots build us a bridge over to the neighboring building.”
Maite shook her head again, turning to Kepa. “He has the zatia. It’s here, in his suite.”
“You saw it?” asked Kepa incredulously.
Maite nodded. “He’s had it for a while. He’s keeping it so he can relish his life in this bubble.”
Latxe looked at Kepa. “What is she talking about? What bubble?”
Kepa looked at Latxe, sadness in his eyes.
“This world…” he began, but he couldn’t bring himself to finish.
Maite turned to Latxe, taking her hand in hers. “This world isn’t real,” she said. “It’s a parallel timeline created by a magical fragment.”
Latxe laughed. “Not real?” she asked, laughing. “What do you mean it’s not real?” She punched Maite in the shoulder. “Didn’t that feel real?”
“It is real,” interjected Kepa, “but it isn’t supposed to exist.”
“This world isn’t meant to exist?” repeated Latxe, shaking her head. The laughter had left her voice, replaced by a rising tide of panic. “Are you saying I’m not meant to exist?”
“You are meant to exist,” answered Maite in a quiet voice that she hoped was soothing. If they were going to get out of this, they needed Latxe’s help. “Just not in this timeline.”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean ‘this timeline’?”
“Magical fragments have been cast across time and space,” replied Maite. “Every where they end up splits into a bubble of time, separate from the main timeline. Whenever these fragments, these zatia, are recovered, that bubble pops.”
“So, this reality will end,” added Kepa, “but you still live in the main timeline.”
Latxe slumped to the ground. In the background, she heard various explosions as de Lancre rampaged in the lower floors, looking for them. She looked up at Maite, and then Kepa, tears in her eyes. “How far back does this bubble go?”
Maite shook her head as she knelt down next to Latxe. “We don’t know. Whenever the zatia arrived, but we don’t know when that happened.”
Latxe looked out over the city. “All of this will just disappear once you get the zatia thing?”
Maite nodded. “Yes, but you’re still alive in the main timeline.”
“But this life will be gone,” Latxe stated more than asked.
Maite nodded again. “I’m afraid so.”
“And he let this timeline go on for his own entertainment?” asked Latxe, rage growing inside of her. “He could have ended this, but chose not too? Force us to live these false lives, knowing at some point he would end them all? He let all of us suffer for his own amusement?”
Maite looked at Kepa, who looked down at Latxe. All he could do was nod.
Latxe stood, anger etched into her face. “Then let’s destroy that bastard.”
If you get this post via email, the return-to address goes no where, so please write blas@buber.net if you want to get in touch with me.
The Basques converted to Christianity relatively late compared to many of their neighbors, and before that they had a complex and fascinating mythology that involved a myriad of creatures and powerful beings that impacted the daily life of the people dotting the Basque coast. Much of what we know about that mythology – and Basque prehistory more generally – can be traced to the efforts of one man, a priest who grew up in the most modest of conditions: José Miguel de Barandiaran Ayerbe.
Barandiaran was born in the Gipuzkoan village of Ataun on December 31, 1889 to Francisco Antonio Barandiaran and María Antonia Ayerbe. He was the youngest of nine children. He grew up in a world where Euskara was the language of the home and the street and Spanish was for rich and learned people. Remnants of mythological beings sprinkled the countryside. The children believed that lamia, basajaun, and tartalo used to roam the region. At the village school, the children were forbidden to speak Euskara. Whoever did, was given a ring. The ring passed to the next student to speak Euskara. At the end of the day, the child holding the ring would be punished.
At the urging of his mother, he began studies to be a priest when he was 14, being ordained in 1914 at the age of 24. He joined the seminary of Vitoria-Gasteiz two years later as a science teacher, where he taught, amongst other subjects, physics and chemistry.
Not long after becoming a priest, Barandarian began his ethnographic studies of the Basques and their culture. Barandiaran was extremely prolific, publishing a large number of articles and books over his career – nearly 250 in total. Of particular note is the large collection of Basque folk tales that he collected, often directly from the tellers, capturing their individual idiosyncrasies in each story. He also documented the daily life and the important dates in many towns of the Basque Country, providing an invaluable snapshot of Basque life.
He worked closely with other prominent ethnologists, including Julio Caro Baroja, whom he mentored, his own mentor Telesforo de Aranzadi, and Enrique Eguren Bengoa. Together, Barandiaran, Aranzadi, and Eguren formed a particularly successful research team – sometimes called “the three sad cavemen” – that lead many of the prehistoric excavations in the early 1900s, beginning with the excavation of dolmens in the Aralar mountains. This discovery was inspired by local legends of the jentilak that were buried there.
At the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, in September 1936, Barandiaran went into exile. His work on Basque prehistory and ethnography was viewed suspiciously by those on the right, who connected it to separatist movements. He escaped to Iparralde, living first in Biarritz and then in Sara, Lapurdi, where he would remain until 1953, when he finally returned to Spain and took a position at the University of Salamanca. The three sad cavemen, separated at the beginning of the war, never saw one another again as Eguren died in 1942 and Aranzadi in 1945. During his exile, he received many offers to join other institutions, including Columbia University in New York, but he turned these down, expecting to return some day to Vitoria.
Over his career, he enjoyed many recognitions for his work, including being a member of Euskaltzaindia (the Royal Academy of the Basque Language), serving as president of Eusko Ikaskuntza (the Society for Basque Studies), and receiving an honorary doctorate from Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (the University of the Basque Country).
Barandiaran died on December 21, 1991, just 10 days shy of his 102nd birthday. He worked until the end, publishing Myths of the Basque Country in 1989 when he was 100.
Thanks to Jabier Aldekozea who inspired the title of this post.
Mythical creatures abound in Basque folklore, decorating the Basque countryside, from powerful god-like beings like Mari and Sugaar to more “common” creatures like Tartalo and Basajaun, creatures people might encounter as they go about their daily business. The lamiak are another such being. Living in the streams and ponds of Euskal Herria, their beauty – their feet not withstanding – often beguiles passing men.
A drawing of a lamia with her golden comb. Found on Pinterest, but I couldn’t find the artist’s name. If anyone knows, please let me know! They have a series of drawings about Basque mythological figures.
Lamiak – also called lamin, lamiña, amilamia, eilalamia, basandere, or saindimaindi depending on the location – have the appearance of a beautiful woman and spend much of their time sitting on a large rock next to a river, brushing their long, luxurious hair with a golden comb. However, their most striking feature is their feet. While typically depicted as having the feet of a duck, some describe them as having a hen’s or even a goat’s feet. And, in some stories, they have a tail like a fish.
The golden comb is central to the myth of the lamia. It is their greatest treasure. If someone stole it, the lamia would find them, yelling at them from outside their window, and threatening to curse all of their descendants if the comb was not returned.
Lamiak tend to live in caverns or in the backwaters of streams or springs. They are said to be builders, credited with constructing dolmens, bridges, churches, and castles. Like Mari, they live off of the “no,” the goods that people denied they had. They also fed themselves with the offerings from their devotees.
While the origin of the word lamia comes from Latin, the Basque mythological figure has nothing to do with the sirens and mermaids of Roman lore. Rather, they are much more akin to nymphs than mermaids.
Sometimes they are described as little people that live underground, or covered in long hair, with beards like monkeys. And in others they have no hair at all, except for a small patch on the back of their neck in the shape of a coin. Sometimes they appear lit up in their mouths.
Lamiak require certain services, such as midwifery, from humans. If a human helped a lamiak, they were given ample gifts. However, they were not allowed to take anything without permission and, if they tried, were unable to leave the lamia’s dwelling. And they were forbidden to look back once they left. In one story, as a human reached home and crossed the threshold of their house, they looked back and immediately half of the gifts disappeared. Further, lamiak could not die without a human seeing them, even if they were in great agony. They needed the human to see them and recite a prayer before they could die.
Lamiak have other interactions with humans as well. Sometimes, they fall in love. In one case, a lamia would only marry her suitor if he could guess her age, which a neighbor tricked her into revealing (105 years!). Sometimes they kidnap people, particularly those that don’t heed warnings to not return to their caves. And people sometimes kidnap the lamia, dredging ponds on the day of San Juan.
There are many places in Euskal Herria named after the lamia. The oldest reference is back to 945, where “lamiturri” – or lamia’s fountain – is mentioned. Lamiategui – literally the place of the lamia – is mentioned as far back as 1221 and is a name that occurs in several places across the country. Lamindania is a mill in Lacarry that is said to have been built by the maide, the husbands of the lamiak. Lamiozingoerreka – stream of the lamias’ well – appears near Vera. There are many more such examples all over Euskal Herria.
Today, there aren’t so many lamia, which is attributed to the church bells and the hermitages and shrines that, in some case, were said to be built specifically to drive the lamia away. Sometimes, more directly, their disappearance is traced to the spread of the Gospel.
De Lancre stood at the end of the hall. His fingers started crackling with small bolts of lightning that illuminated his face from below, giving him an eerie glow.
“Oh sh!t!” said Kepa. “I’ve seen this movie…”
The Adventures of Maite and Kepa is a weekly serial. While it is a work of fiction, it has elements from both my own experiences and stories I’ve heard from various people. The characters, while in some cases inspired by real people, aren’t directly modeled on anyone in particular. I expect there will be inconsistencies and factual errors. I don’t know where it is going, and I’ll probably forget where it’s been. Why am I doing this? To give me an excuse and a deadline for some creative writing and because I thought people might enjoy it. Gozatu!
Lightning flew from De Lancre’s fingertips and across the walls and ceiling as it marched down the hallway to where Kepa and Latxe stood.
“What is that?” Latxe barely whispered, paralyzed as she watched the lightning dance in front of her.
“Magic!” bellowed Kepa as he pulled Latxe and ducked into a side room. He grabbed her shoulders, looking into her eyes. “That was magic. He’s a powerful… magic user. That sounds so lame when I say it outloud…” he mumbled to himself. Shaking his head, he continued. “He’s going to fry us if we don’t find a way out of here!”
Latxe nodded numbly, but then swiped furiously across her tablet as light flashed through the open doorway with increasing frequency and brightness. Suddenly, the door disappeared and a new staircase appeared in the room before them, vanishing into the ceiling.
“Goazen!” barked Latxe as she rushed up the stairs, Kepa on her heels.
As soon as they got to the next floor, Latxe swiped at her tablet and the opening faded as if it were never there. They found themselves in the dining area of de Lancre’s suite. Kepa quickly looked around, seeing the balcony that overlooked the city on one side and several closed doors on the other.
“Maite!” he yelled.
“Hemen!” he heard in reply from behind one of the closed doors.
He rushed to the door, fumbling for some kind of door knob or control panel that would let him open it, but finding nothing. He pounded on the door in frustration. “Maite!” he bellowed again.
Latxe nudged him gently aside as she again focused on her tablet. The door disappeared.
Maite burst from the room and threw her arms around Kepa. “I knew you’d find me!”
“I would never leave you!” exclaimed Kepa. After a moment, he broke free. “I couldn’t have done it without Latxe here.”
Latxe smiled at Maite, and then quickly looked away, pretending to focus on her tablet.
“We won’t have much time…” she began when the doors at the end of the dining room burst off of their frame and flew across the room.
If you get this post via email, the return-to address goes no where, so please write blas@buber.net if you want to get in touch with me.
