https://themilitant.com/2019/01/26/an-unconditional-soldier-of-the-revolution/
An Unconditional Soldier of the Revolution
Vol. 83/No. 5
February 4, 2019
The following excerpt is from “‘El Gallego’ Fernández — An Unconditional
Soldier of the Revolution,” the speech given by José Ramón Machado
Ventura, second secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, at the
memorial tribute to José Ramón Fernández in Havana Jan. 8.
A book containing his memoirs, with a forward by Army General Raúl
Castro Ruz, came off the press some two months ago, with the idea of
presenting it to the public on the occasion of his 95th birthday.
That didn’t happen. Already bedridden when he received the first copy
and heard about the idea, he insisted — strongly — that the book
presentation not take place on that date. “That would be rather
pretentious on my part,” he said. That’s the way Fernández was.
At the end of the book, he wrote these lines that by themselves explain
the meaning of his long and fruitful life as a revolutionary:
“My greatest pride, in the healthy sense of the word, is to have had the
confidence of two great men of our revolutionary process, Commander in
Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and Army General Raúl Castro Ruz.”
Fernández continued:
“My experiences were shaped by these two individuals, who I have
followed throughout all these years, and by my commitment to my homeland
and the people of Cuba, who I cherish with all my heart. They are the
incentive to continue contributing my physical and mental energy to this
great work of the Cuban socialist revolution. My only duty is to be
faithful to that confidence as long as there is life in me.”
So end his words, to which could only be added — You did so until the
last moment of your existence.
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Jules Verne
“ Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add
nothing to them. ”
― Jules Verne
