Biography
Chesler, Hyman Frank (Chester); b. December 17, 1910, NYC; High School education, 4 years, attended the same school as Irv Goff; Single; Seaman, Truck Driver, and Taxi Cab Driver; CP February 1936; Received Passport# 366581 on February 11, 1937 which listed his address as 2922 West 35th Street, Brooklyn, New York; Sailed February 20, 1937 aboard the Ile de France; Arrived in Spain on March 10, 1937; Served with the XV BDE, Mackenzie-Papineau BN in training; Transferred to Albacete Auto Park as driver; To XV BDE Auto Park on August 20, 1937, Secretary of the Auto Park, Rank Sargento; In July 1938 he was in the Lincoln-Washington BN, Plaza Mayor; Expelled by the party on the way out of Spain for insubordination; Rank Sargento; Returned to the US on December 20, 1938 aboard the Ausonia; WWII US Army, enlisted March 1943; Wife Ruth Goldman (1913-1990), sons Michael Chesler, Stephen Chesler; d. August 16, 1996 (November 1990), Encino, California, Burial Sholom Memorial Park, San Fernando, CA; Spoke English, French, Spanish and Yiddish.Sibling: brother Eli Chesler.
Source: Sail (under Chester); Scope of Soviet Activity; Cadre; Americans; Mac-Paps; XV BDE; Pay; RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 914, ll. 1, 41; Harriman ALBA 48, #30, Box 23, April 18, 1986.; (obituary) Los Angeles Times August 20, 1996; L-W Tree Ancestry; Find-a-Grave #148974837. Code A
Frank Chesler Interview, ALBA V 48-030, April 18, 1986, Manny Harriman Video Oral History Collection; ALBA VIDEO 048; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Keep ‘Em Rolling By Hy Chesler, The Volunteer for Liberty, Vol. II, No. 5, February 12, 1938, reprinted The Volunteer Blog, posted August 12, 2018.
Photographs: Hyman Chesler, Lincoln-Washington, July 1938. The 15th International Brigade Photographic Unit Photograph Collection; ALBA Photo 11; ALBA Photo number 11-0054. Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.; and below from RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 914.