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Nada por lo que matar o morir | José María Rodríguez | TEDxBariloche


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in my document in my document says ex
fighter hero of the war of the
Falkland Islands
the one that appears that text was a
option and I agreed it filled me with
pride today
today I do not feel rb
today I know that he was a victim victim of
a war
I want to tell you a story that
begins the first day of first grade
when I met Alejandro we became
friends we put our nicknames toad
and big-headed we did school together
first friend with 18 years did not reach the
compulsory military service in the
Argentinian army
we started the colimba runs clean barre
in Mar del Plata a week they gave us
seven days of license to render
entrance exam at university
this was in March 82
we returned and on April 2, 1982 the
Argentine armed forces in an attempt
to maintain the civic-military dictatorship
they forcibly regained control of
the Falkland Islands that was in hands
of England with less than a month
have entered the service without
instruction without being soldiers not
they selected to go to war
after preparing the accoutrements that
we had to bring clothes and weapons that we
we had used they gave us a couple of
days so that we go to say goodbye
our family was holy week not
I could distinguish a sergeant from a
Captain did not know how to distinguish an airplane
Argentine from an English airplane
and that was our mission in barinas
knock down English planes at the first
plane that shoot
It was an Argentine airplane
when you get to the islands
we got off the plane and in one night
closed
I had never been in such
darkness
In the distance I could distinguish the voice of light
of the village a penumbra
but I could not see the back that
candel soldier who walked before me
only tiny sparks that produced
the new shoes
I felt helpless against the asphalt
delivered and lost we find ourselves with
the equipment to be used in a system
very modern latest technology was
composed of two antiaircraft guns
of 35 millimeters as a machine gun
giants that shot a thousand 100
ammunition per minute
these guns were controlled
directed from a motor home called
shooting director who had prada of
video camera scan
computer weather station
generator set a very system
modern
the first is that inside there is in malvinas
to the shooting director I feel in the
desk in the operator post and I
Surprise was very similar to missile
command and eat a little game
electronic that he knew very well
because he had worked during the year
previous in sack in the games
electronic
one already warned by radio or looked in
the radar screen if there was any
target entering the 16 kilometers
that we had reach with a joystick it
positions a cross on the target and
the cameras that showed it in the first
flat and simply by pressing a button
the two guns that were 300
meters
they shot with a lot of precision
against the plane but they had
they also shot us and the
great difference with the little game was that
we did not have three lives in our
position waiting for the arrival of the
english fleet
we continue with the hope of not
enter combat that someone stops
war
the first of May at night
lit up over the airport in the distance
like fireworks pulled him out
Alejandro from the tent he was
sleeping and looked absorbed the
explosions and the traces of
combat munitions made us fall
in reality the war came
Then came the ships arriving
to the coast and they fired until they
tired there they informed us that no
we had brought long cannons
scope
everything was difficult we did not have anything not
planned where are we going to eat sleep or
go to the bathroom
66 days like that I had toothache not
there was a dentist
we slept and took off our helmet or
boots in wells or makeshift shelters
with drums
everything was very difficult to live several
wars the cold the hunger the lack of
injustice professionalism of my
superiors and the war
I thought about killing myself that suffering
I will finish but I chose to fight to live
well we spent the short days and
long nights under the bombing of the
ships and the attack of the planes
the last and eternal night of combat and
the English had landed and
they advanced
we already knew that he makes war
she was lost they had already made head
of beach were advancing towards port
Argentine already had them very close
bombings of mortars were already
nearby were a few kilometers away
the anti-aircraft guns we threw
land earth without knowing where it was
where the English came from without
aim without knowing if there was own troop
or only English and we stop until the
cannons did not give anymore they broke
Oh, I put myself in a well in a shelter
only total darkness
I find a can of sweet quince
sugary hugged me to the can and I
I ate all the candy I remembered the pasta
frola breast quince
the splinters hit the
shelter walls the end of the
war or death was near by the
tomorrow the bombing subsided and arrived
finally the order to retreat towards
Argentine port
there they gave us the ceasefire
surrender soldiers soldiers
Englishmen walked down the street as if
nothing was coming we looked at each other
some photos were taken that happened from
yesterday to today yesterday we shot ourselves
today there is no hatred that war returns to
our houses was close
luck was on the side of those who
we manage to survive but how they hurt
those that remained in malvinas for
always
I never imagined what it hurt to return
It cost a lot to go back to live in
society
I came back with 15 kilos less and my head
burned the first months I repeated
you have to forget nothing happened
already finished a lot of time standing in front
the refrigerator in the house mom worried
because the food is missing
I felt helpless again
I ‘m going to buy a weapon to defend myself
and they did not sell it to me because it was less than
age
the ex-combatants started to get together
speak not to be silent even though we
they had prohibited talking
we formed the centers of former soldiers
true fighters centers of
self help
we started fighting to march and what
we achieve
society was not becoming in
heroes and I believed it but there were
something that was not right
in spite of everything I feel a very
lucky
just returned I found the love of my
life my road companion
we formed a beautiful family we had the
twins they contain me many years
containing me
I worked always always worked
hope but I do not like
injustices with alex we are still
great friends
he is my brother of life and I want
tell them a milestone something that changed my
life for years with alejandro
we dream and plan to go back to
Malvinas wanted to return the two alone
and we did it in April 2014
32 years later we did not know to what
but we knew we had to go back
before landing through the window of the
plane I’m surprised Malvina has
colors
It was amazing but our in our
heads all the memories were in
black and white
We toured the town battlefields
mined areas beautiful sandy beaches
white where we went there
scars of war every bombshell
is there has turned into craters
flooded like open pits waiting
the islanders treated us well there is no
I hate only bad memories
we found our place our well
that were one of the objectives and there
we found the remains of drums and that
day having lunch on some stones at a
side on a hill with german
we talked that we could not understand
how we survived in 66 days so there
in the middle of nowhere
On April 2 we paid our tribute
We went to the Argentine cemetery in Darwin
and we sing the Argentine national anthem
we both cry we hugged each other
only the whisper that accompanied us
causes the wind in the rosaries
hanging from the crosses
we already did close avaya san carlos where
disembarked and stopped in front of
small cemetery of English soldiers
resonate with our anthem or swear
with glory die or swear with glory
die in front of so many deaths
graves did not make any sense
we leave falklands full of scars
but this time when returning home
something changed do not act for hero I did not go
a hero
I did what I could do and I know what I
played did I did the best I could
thinking about coming back thinking of me
family thinking about suffering the least
possible not to choose in the acts of 2 of
April pays homage to veterans
of war and those who lost or gave
life for the fatherland parents mix
and his sons soldiers who can talk
soldiers who can not talk
military repentant military
proud heroes victims and cowards
we speak of sovereignty of the deed
Malvinas talks about the war they talk about
of the boys of the war they talk about
heroes talk about patriotism
speaks of colonialism and promises
policies nothing so kill or die
says lennon in picture nothing so
kill or die and I think – send to kill
or die
how many would leave an 18-year-old son
go to war
it was not defending the homeland many times
you heard the war is useless
everyone loses
nobody wins but when you talk about the
Falkland Islands war
for now the fallen for respect to the
that we fight or what do I know because
Patriotic deed talks about the main thing
that we have the most valuable thing is our
lifetime
I’m talking about valuing life
we come to the world to live and to live together and
in the middle in life they make us believe
different nationality race sex
religion to 35 years of the war
to have realized that it was not a
gesta that was a war is my battle
earned
I do not feel like a hero no hero
I could feel pain
today I am closer to the path of
find peace for years I could not
try the quince jelly
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josé what do you think they ‘re going to feel or
they are feeling ex-combatants then
to see this talk is a very
difficult
I am aware that I am
he played dancing with one of the ugliest
there are many ex-combatants who are
proud and what happened not so bad
in malvinas or had a bad time but it
they feel very well that they feel a lot
proud of having done that but there
some that do not and that have not yet been able
talk or they do not feel good and I think
that this can help them to
they do not feel good and I think too
which serves for society to have a
little bit of different consciousness
the noise at the beginning in the
acts of April 2 and I want to want
propose is my next goal is that
on April 2 let’s make a march in
against wars not an act of
vindication of the war
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