Fare thee well to Josep Eduardo Almudéver Mateu, the last known survivor of the International Brigades. Born in France to Spanish parents, Almudéver was only 16 years old when he lied about his age to join Spain's republican army during the outbreak of the Civil War; he was tossed out when after being wounded his real age was discovered. Not giving up on the fight against fascism, he joined the International Brigades with whom he proudly served until they were disbanded in 1938. He remained in Spain, but was imprisoned by Franco in 1939 and sent to a concentration camp where he was forced to watch his comrades be murdered one by one ("Never, in all my life, will I forget the screams of the people who were shot"). After spending years in various Spanish prisons, in 1944 he joined guerrilla forces to continue the fight against Franco, eventually going into exile in France. He returned to Spain in recent years, where in Valencia he was hailed as hero.
Josep Eduardo Almudéver Mateu passed away in France on May 23rd at age 101. The world lost a true hero, and an inspiration to all that continue to stand against fascist tyranny. Rest In Peace.
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