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Joaquin Delgadillo
Fictional Character
The War That Came Early
POD: July 20, 1936;
Relevant POD: September 29, 1938
Appearance(s): Hitler's War;
West and East
Type of Appearance: Direct POV
Nationality: Spain
Date of Birth: 1900s or 1910s
Date of Death: 1939
Cause of Death: Bombed during an Air Raid (World War II)
Religion: Catholicism
Occupation: Soldier
Military Branch: Spanish Nationalists (Spanish Civil War)


Joaquin Delgadillo (d. 1939) was a soldier with the Nationalist faction of the Spanish Civil War, and by extension, the second European conflict that began in 1938. Delgadillo was a devout follower of Marshal José Sanjurjo and the Nationalist cause.

In 1938, Delgadillo participated on the German-Italian supported Nationalist attack on the British holdings at Gibraltar. Although the assault resulted in heavy casualties among the Axis forces, the Nationalists succeeded in wresting Gibraltar from the British.

Early in 1939, Delgadillo and his unit was transferred to Madrid, as Sanjurjo sought to take the Spanish capital once and for all. Delgadillo personally met Sanjurjo during an inspection carried out by the latter, and was deeply impressed by his leader. He was less favorably inclined towards his commanding officer, Major Bernardo Uribe, not because of the latter's homosexuality, but because of his sociopathic violence.

In Madrid, Delgadillo was captured in a failed trench raid against the International Brigades. He was treated well as a POW and his captor, Chaim Weinberg, attempted to indoctrinate him to the Communist cause. Delgadillo did not give up his Nationalist views, but he did find Weinberg's explanation of events equally compelling. He soon had a personal crisis of faith.

In the winter, an air raid led to a breach of the perimeter of his POW camp, and he was able to escape. He looked forward to slipping away and living his life independently, as his own master. Unfortunately, he was killed almost immediately as the air raid continued.

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