(c)2008 Armando Salas ---- I was searching for an old magazine at my studio and suddenly I found something really painfull but I want to share it with all of you.-----------After our Civil War (1936-1939) Spain knew famine. Country totally destroyed and the winners were occupied by killing their enemies during years. No food enough nor money. Food was rationed, the same as clothes, all... All people, including children, had their own "Cartilla de racionamiento" (ration coupons). I remember when my cousins came to visit us from the hamlet. They were very poor, their parents were farmers, slaves really, working all day long to only survive. Sometimes my mother gave them bread and chocolate (when we had money enough to buy it); most of times, bread with olive oil and sugar. That night, my parents cannot eat bread; only my ration was reserved. ------ God bless America and Argentina: they helped Spanish people by sending food: flour, meat, cheese, butter, milk... during years. When I was nine years old, at school, my classmates and I ate every day bread and a delicious butter made in USA. Dictator General Franco knew the children had to eat or... tuberculosis. Many of my friends got tuberculosis and I remember few of my father's friends died because of this disease; no penicillin then. Difficult times, difficult to forget, difficult to forgive...---------Upper image: my ration coupons cover. Myself, when I was a child (perhaps 2-3 years old) and my parents.---Bottom image: My name written on the second page. Year: 1952; a child six years old having ration coupons for bread, oil, rice, clothes... On the right side is printed "PAN" (=BREAD in Spanish)... MY bread for April, 1952! More pages for rice, oil, clothes...-------- Yes, God bless America and Argentina... and although I tried to do it, I cannot forget, I cannot forgive... I only learnt to survive, to be strong, to preserve my pride, to become a fighter for freedom. My soul is made of steel.