Death of a Spanish officer in Iraq

ABC (Spanish newspaper) ^ | August 23, 2003 | Alfonso Ussía

[livius]

A Sailor

By Alfonso Ussía

Manuel Martín-Oar, captain in the Spanish Navy, died in Iraq. One line sums up the entire tragedy. He escaped alive from the terrorist attack on the United Nations headquarters and was found dead in a dirty, run-down temporary morgue. He has gone to his rest with honor, that lofty and sacred thing no longer valued in our time. The politicians have declared their regret and respect, with the usual abstentions. The grubby minds of Llamazares and Anasagasti [Basque Marxist separatists] have tried to take advantage of the death of a Spanish sailor to stir up the muddy waters of partisanship: Llamazares and Anasagasti, of all people, two who have trumpeted their disgust and contempt for our armed forces.

I have had the good luck to know the Spanish Navy well. A great Navy man introduced me to them. And I felt the death of Manuel Martín-Oar as the death of someone very close to me. The people who are attempting to take advantage of his death for their own benefit, those who are trying to use the body of a hero for their demagoguery, those who are trying to stir up civil society with the first Spanish soldier to die in Iraq, are going to find that they have run up against a brick wall. The women and children of the Navy are as much a part of it as their sailors, and accept the risks and the fate of their loved ones with the same sense of vocation and dedication. They are reserved even in their display of grief.

No weeping and wailing of false mourners. Good soldiers know that they are gambling with their lives; even on a mission of peace, as in the case of Capt. Martín-Oar. And they also know that if they die they will be received with the solemn grandeur of silence. Military men do their duty because they know that their families know how to deal with grief. They live surrounded by women, children and parents who support them and are with them in each and every one of the places that their lives take them. They are the great lords of the sea, who have grown used to sailing beyond all horizons and better than we are for it. But they are also their families, and if death touches them, they are still with us in the serene and courageous attitude of their families, and never die.

The sun has set in the West for a Spanish sailor. Never again will he see it rise in the lonely dawns of the sea. His fate awaited him on earth, in a violent and turbulent city, when he was on a mission of mercy to those who were suffering. He has given his life for humanity far from Spain, and he shall return to his country sleeping and at rest, to become clay of its clay while he awaits the great day of hope, that day that they say will be full of unbelievable light and seas that are always blue.

He died in the desert, which was not his place. But heroes always make their tomb a place of honor. He has taken his place again and is back with us. Wicked is the man who does not respect Capt. Martín-Oar’s greatness or the strength of his loved ones. Yet some of the wicked have already emerged, and others will follow their unworthy and deceitful lead. They will never understand soldiers, whether of the sea, the land or the air. The integrity of soldiers is beyond the understanding of the poisoned and corrupt minds of thugs. The surrender of one’s life and dignity in death, that is, heroism, is an indecipherable hieroglyphic for those who have never respected the soul of soldiers.

The Virgin of Carmen has opened her arms over Iraq to shelter one of her children in this first loneliness. And the Star of the Sea has brought a Spanish sailor from Iraq to his homeland.

[livius]

A Spanish naval officer was killed in the UN bombing. He was brought out of the building alive and evacuated to a field hospital, where he died of loss of blood and head injuries. This is the first Spanish military man to be killed in Iraq. Naturally, the press there - with the exception of the conservative newspaper ABC - is acting just the way the press here does, trying to use it to undermine their country's presence in Iraq.

I translated this and am posting it because I thought that it was a very beautiful tribute to this particular fallen soldier and to all of those who have lost their lives doing what was right.

[livius]

Ping to a beautiful tribute to a fallen member of our Coalition.

[snopercod]

I saw this on HITN yesterday evening.

[solzhenitsyn]

Majestic. This is the most beautiful and moving thing I've read in a while.

Thank you for your fine translation, livius. We appreciate you taking the trouble for us.

[solzhenitsyn]

The sun has set in the West for a Spanish sailor. Never again will he see it rise in the lonely dawns of the sea. His fate awaited him on earth, in a violent and turbulent city, when he was on a mission of mercy to those who were suffering. He has given his life for humanity far from Spain, and he shall return to his country sleeping and at rest, to become clay of its clay while he awaits the great day of hope, that day that they say will be full of unbelievable light and seas that are always blue.

That is worthy of Homer.

[solzhenitsyn]

The integrity of soldiers is beyond the understanding of the poisoned and corrupt minds of thugs. The surrender of one’s life and dignity in death, that is, heroism, is an indecipherable hieroglyphic for those who have never respected the soul of soldiers.

Amen!

[Consort]

[livius]

Thank you. I felt that translating this for others would be my way of paying my respects to this man and his country.

The author, by the way, is a well known Spanish writer who usually writes political commentary and satire.

[DUMBGRUNT]

Thank you.

[solzhenitsyn]

I followed the link and sent the following letter to abc.es. Couldn't think of the right words; I basically just wanted to say "Thank you". Had to send the letter in English, because I know little Spanish. Someone there will be able to read it.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for publishing Sr. Alfonso Ussia's article titled "Un Marino". It is a beautiful and very poignant tribute to a great Spaniard, Captain Manuel Martin-Oar. I have none of Sr. Ussia's eloquence, but I wish humbly to salute the captain's courage and to express my thanks for the great gift of his sacrifice. As an American, I wish also to thank the Spanish people for your generous help in the continuing struggle in Iraq. A nation of 25 million souls is slowly being pried free from one of the most brutal regimes in history. I hope that your great-children and ours will remember that with pride and with thanksgiving.

[livius]

I think it's a great letter. I think they'll be very happy to receive it. Thank you for taking the time to write - I think it will mean a lot, and I hope ABC sends a copy of your letter to his family.

[solzhenitsyn]

Thanks, friend.

[MattinNJ]

Thank you for the Ping. A truly sad loss. This most be the most beautiful, poignant, and eloquent tribute to a fallen hero I have ever read. I only pray that I am worthy of 1/100th of such a tribute when I go.

I will have my Cuban father-in-law translate a letter of thanks to the newspaper dedicated to our fallen comrade, his family, and to Aznar.

[livius]

Thank you! I think it will make a difference. Spain has tried very hard to help us, and I think it would be right for us to acknowledge their casualties, particularly since the left (there as here) is attacking the government for having become engaged in the war.

But, as Ussía said, the opponents are small and dirty minds, and they really don't understand anything. Particularly about goodness and honor.

[VOA]

Wicked is the man who does not respect Capt. Martín-Oar’s greatness or the strength
of his loved ones.

Amen to that.
And mention of these wicked ones leads me to believe that they have Democrats
in Spain as well...

[livius]

They do. It's the PSOE there (Spanish Socialist Party), aided by various radical groups. Sounds familiar, right?

[VOA]

It is a beautiful and very poignant tribute to a great Spaniard, Captain Manuel Martin-Oar.

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say it's the sort of tribute that
would humble a person who did noble things in any good endeavor, in any time or place.

Who ever the writer is, I hope he doesn't crack under the pressure of trying
to equal the universal beauty and depth of this tribute.

[thedugal]

Anyone know how we could send condolences to his family. The only thing I can think of is to write a letter to the embassy.

[solzhenitsyn]

Yes, the beauty and power of the writing is astonishing! -- And Livius' skill in producing this fine translation deserves respect.

[solzhenitsyn]

livius, my friend, if you ever find anything of interest in the future and take the trouble to translate it for us, please ping me, if you think of it.

Thank you very much.