Abraham Lincoln Brigade The Abraham Lincoln Brigade collectively refers to all volunteers from the United States who served in the Spanish Civil War as soldiers , technicians , medical personnel and aviators fighting for Spanish Republican forces against Franco and the Spanish Nationalists . Of the approximately 2 , 800 American volunteers , between 750 and 800 were killed in action or died of wounds or sickness . History . Creation of the Lincoln Battalion . North American volunteers began organizing and arriving in Spain in 1937 . The Lincoln Battalion was organized in January 1937 as part of the XVth International Brigade . The Lincoln Battalion initially fielded three companies , two infantry and one machine gun . Included in the battalion ' s infantry companies were sections of Latin American volunteers , organized as the Centuria Guttieras , and Irish , organized as the Connolly Column . After less than two months of training the Lincolns went into action in February 1937 . The Lincolns suffered heavy losses during the Battle of Jarama . On February 27 , 1937 the unit lost two - thirds of its strength including their commander , Robert Hale Merriman ( who was badly wounded ) , in a futile assault on Nationalist positions . The battalion remained in the lines and was slowly rebuilt while maintaining its front - line trenches . The unit was pulled out of the lines for a brief rest before the offensive at Brunete . Joined by the newly trained George Washington Battalion , the XVth Brigade went into action at Villanueva de la Cañada on the second day of the Brunete Offensive and secured the town after hard fighting , the Washington ' s attacking the north end of the village , while the British and Dimitrov battalions attacked from the south . The XVth Brigade then deployed against " Mosquito Ridge " , but despite repeated assaults they were unable to dislodge the Nationalist troops holding that key piece of terrain . The Lincoln ' s commander Oliver Law was killed during this action . The XVth Brigade sustained heavy losses , and due to the high rate of casualties the Lincoln and Washington Battalions were merged . Thereafter the unit was officially known as the Lincoln - Washington Battalion , though it was more commonly referred to as the Lincoln Battalion . During August , September and October the Lincoln - Washington Battalion fought in a series of battles in the Aragon Offensive . The Lincoln - Washington Battalion fought well at both Quinto and Belchite . The engagement at Quinto was a combined arms action as the Lincoln - Washington Battalion was led into their second assault on the town by T - 26 tanks . Belchite was a severe test for the Lincoln - Washington Battalion , where they fought house to house and took heavy casualties . After Belchite the XVth Brigade was reorganized . The newly formed Canadian MacKenzie - Papineau Battalion joined the brigade and the veteran Dimitrov Battalion departed . A majority of the volunteers in the " Mac - Paps " were actually Americans . On October 13 , 1937 the XVth Brigade fought at Fuentes de Ebro . Men from the brigade ' s 24th ( Spanish ) Battalion rode Russian tanks in the attack . The remaining battalions were supposed to follow the tanks . The original plan of attack fell apart as the tanks did not coordinate their advance with the infantry . Casualties were especially heavy in the 24th and MacKenzie - Papineau Battalions . After Fuentes the XVth Brigade was pulled back to a reserve position where the Lincoln - Washington Battalion received its first extended period of rest and relaxation since going into combat at Jarama . In late December the Lincoln - Washington Battalion was alerted for service at Teruel . The winter of 1938 was among the coldest on record and many troops suffered frostbite injuries during the campaign . The XVth Brigade was deployed to hold the recently captured city of Teruel against the expected Nationalist counterattack . The Lincoln - Washington ' s initially held positions overlooking Teruel that they called the North Pole . Later they moved down into the city . During January the Nationalists launched coordinated attacks against the Republican defenses in and around Teruel . The XVth Brigade ' s British Battalion and MacKenzie - Papineau Battalion lost an entire company each attempting to hold the territory . Nationalist weight of numbers and material eventually pushed the XVth Brigade back . The XV BDE , including the Lincoln - Washington Battalion , were pulled out of the line for rest after three weeks in the lines . Before the units could get to their rest areas , their trains and trucks were stopped and they were called back to the front . They participated in an offensive that was expected to relieve some of the pressure on Teruel . In a daring dawn attack the XVth Brigade attacked a series of Nationalist fortifications at Segura de los Baños . While the attack was a success , the Nationalist forces did not transfer any forces away from Teruel . March 1938 found the Lincoln - Washington Battalion in reserve positions in Aragon . Their rest proved short lived as the XVth Brigade was swept up in the disaster known as The Retreats . Nationalist forces punched through the Republican lines and drove to the sea cutting the Republic in two . The Lincoln - Washington Battalion was dispersed , reformed and dispersed again in a confused series of holding actions and retreats . The Lincoln - Washington Battalion lost most of its personnel killed , captured or missing . Robert Merriman and Dave Doran , two of the highest ranking American officers in the XVth Brigade were presumed captured and executed . Nationalist forces normally executed all international prisoners . The remnants of the Battalion gathered on the far side of the Ebro River where they were slowly reconstituted with a limited number of international volunteers from the hospitals and rear areas . Spanish troops , many young conscripts , were drafted into the XVth Brigade ' s battalions to bring them fully up to strength . Spanish troops were integrated into the Lincoln Battalion as early as Jarama . As the flow of volunteers decreased from North America Spanish companies were added to the international battalions . After the Retreats Spanish troops were integrated across the battalions and comprised the majority of the XVth Brigade ' s strength in its last action . In July 1938 the rebuilt Lincoln - Washington Battalion participated in the Ebro Offensive . The XVth Brigade crossed the Ebro and rapidly advanced through territory they had retreated through in March and April . Nationalist forces quickly rallied and the offensive stalled . Republican forces moved over to the defensive contesting every square mile captured in the offensive . The XVth Brigade fought a series of bitter defensive actions . The International Brigades were withdrawn from battle by the Spanish prime minister Juan Negrín , in the vain hope that the Nationalists would withdraw their German and Italian Troops in turn . Surviving Americans from across Spain were sent to Ripoll where the International Red Cross and the US government verified their nationality before repatriating them . Many were able to participate in the Farewell activities including the march in Barcelona where the International Brigades were officially disbanded . Most American volunteers returned to the US between December 1938 and January 1939 . American POWs were released after the fall of the Republican government , though the last POWs did not arrive in the United States until September 1939 . The Brigade was a " cause célèbre " in some liberal and socialist circles in the United States . The Friends of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion ( FALB ) , assisted by many other groups , conducted fundraising activities and supply drives to support the Americans in Spain . News of the brigade ' s high casualty rate and bravery in battle made them heroic figures to Americans opposing the rise of fascism . 20th Battalion , 86th Brigade . An American company served in the 20th International Battalion that was attached to the 86th Brigade . This unit fought on the Cordoba Front . Most of the American volunteers were transferred from the unit to the XVth Brigade prior to the Brunete Offensive . The George Washington Battalion . The Washington Battalion was the second American battalion . The unit was merged with the Lincoln Battalion during the Brunete Campaign . It was commanded by Mirko Markovics and its commissar was Dave Mates . The MacKenzie - Papineau Battalion . Two - thirds of the nominally Canadian unit were Americans . Its first commander was Robert Thompson an American veteran of the Lincoln Battalion . Joseph Dallet , also American , was the first Commissar . 2nd Squadron , First Regiment de Tren . The Regiment de Tren was a transportation unit providing support to the Republican forces . The Second Squadron was predominately American . The commander was Durward Clark . The John Brown Battery . This unit ' s official title was the 14th Battery , 2nd Group , 11th Regiment . It was a heavy artillery unit manning 155mm guns . The battery commander was Arthur Timpson with Jack Waters as Commissar . 4th Group , 35th Battery . This unit initially manned 155mm guns but later were equipped with 45mm anti - tank guns and attached to the 129th International Brigade . The battery commander was Nathan Budish and his Commissar was Sid Kaufman . The American Medical Bureau . Organized by Dr . Edward Barsky the AMB recruited doctors , dentists , nurses , administrators and ambulance drivers to support the Spanish Republic . In Spain the AMB was assigned to the Spanish Medical Services ( Sanidad ) . Its members treated international and Spanish volunteers . Aftermath . During and after the Spanish Civil War , members of the brigade were generally viewed as supporters of the Soviet Union . After returning to the United States many joined the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade ( VALB ) . However , the Hitler - Stalin pact caused a division among the Lincoln Brigade veterans . Some of them , adopting the official Communist line that regarded the war in Europe as " an imperialist war " , joined with the American Peace Mobilization in protesting U . S . support for Britain against Nazi Germany . Others , however , persisted with the anti - Fascist line which they had followed to Spain . After the German invasion of the Soviet Union the VALB changed its stance and fully backed the war . Former Lincoln - Washington commander Milton Wolff volunteered in 1940 for the British Special Operations Executive , and arranged the provision of arms for the European resistance organizations . During World War II the U . S . government considered former members of the brigade to be security risks . In fact , FBI Director J . Edgar Hoover requested that President Roosevelt ensure that former ALB members fighting in U . S . Forces in World War II not be considered for commissioning as officers , or to have any type of positive distinction conferred upon them . In 1947 , the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade were placed on Attorney General ' s List of Subversive Organizations . The Veterans would be one of only five groups that would stay intact , to at least 1970 , after receiving this designation . Etymology . The name Abraham Lincoln Brigade is a misnomer . In the Spanish Civil War , a brigade consisted of four to six battalion s . Anthem : " Valley of Jarama " . Members of the XV International Brigade adapted a song by Alex McDade to reflect the losses at the Battle of Jarama . Sung to the tune of the traditional country song " Red River Valley " , it became their anthem . Recognition . In museums . In 2007 , Facing Fascism : New York and the Spanish Civil War at the Museum of the City of New York examines the role that New Yorkers played in the conflict , as well as the political and social ideologies that motivated them to participate in activities ranging from rallying support , fundraising , and relief aid , to fighting — and sometimes dying — on the front lines in Spain . The stories of these New Yorkers will be told through photographs , letters , uniforms , weapons , and an array of personal and historical memorabilia .