Harriman, Manny.

Manny Harriman was born Samuel Nahman on January 19, 1919 in Manhattan to Haim (Herman) Nahman, a shoemaker, and Jennie Nahman. He was the middle one of five children. His parents had both been born in Turkey and were of Sephardic Jewish heritage. Harriman attended school until his early teens, when in the midst of the Great Depression, he began to work with his father in order to help support the family. During the thirties, Harriman was employed as both a shoemaker and a construction worker, and worked on various WPA projects. During this period, he became politically active in New York City, joining the Young Communist League in 1935 and continuing to participate until his departure for Spain. He was also involved with the Workers Alliance and Federation Settlement and participated in strikes of WPA and shoe store workers.

A member of a strongly anti-fascist and politically active family, Harriman volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War at age nineteen and left for Spain on May 14, 1938. He was among the last U.S. volunteers to arrive in Spain. He served as a machine gunner. On August 1, 1938, during the attack on Gandesa, he was wounded, and spent almost a month recovering. He returned to the front in September 1938 and fought in the Ebro offensive. During his last days in Spain, he served in Battalion Transmissions.

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