Solomon Feldman was born on September 14, 1914, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Jewish parents, Abraham and Ida Feldman. Like many families seeking opportunity, the Feldmans later moved to New York City, settling at 1059 Glenmore Avenue in Brooklyn. After completing his high school education in an unnamed school in New York the early 1930s, he entered a harsh job market as a salesman, where the realities of the Great Depression fueled his political awakening. By 1935, Feldman had joined the Young Communist League (YCL), part of the growing movement of young Americans drawn to leftist politics during the Great Depression.
The mid-1930s were a time of increasing political polarization, with fascism rising in Europe while economic hardship fueled radical politics in America. When the Spanish Civil War erupted in July 1936, with General Franco's Nationalist forces attempting to overthrow the democratically elected Republican government, many young leftists saw this as a crucial battleground in the international fight against fascism.
Feldman was recruited through the 202nd New York State Volunteer Infantry, mustered in at Buffalo (Company A), where his company's corporal was Joseph Cohen. This recruitment network was part of the broader effort to send American volunteers to support the Spanish Republic, despite the U.S. government's official policy of non-intervention.
On March 17, 1937, Feldman sailed for Spain aboard the S.S. President Roosevelt. Like many American volunteers, his journey was fraught with obstacles. He was arrested while attempting to cross into Spain from France and served a 40-day sentence in a French jail before finally reaching his destination on May 25, 1937.
Upon arrival in Spain, Feldman was assigned to the XV International Brigade, initially serving with the Washington Battalion's Machine Gun Company, Section 3. He later served with both the Lincoln Battalion and the combined Lincoln-Washington Battalion after the two American units merged due to heavy casualties.
Feldman's military service in Spain was not without complications. Records indicate that he deserted on September 15, 1937, and was subsequently returned to the Brigade under guard. However, this lapse did not define his service. He rehabilitated himself through dedicated service and performance, eventually earning the rank of Sargento (Sergeant) and receiving an assignment to the International Brigade Delegation in Madrid in January 1938.
After his stint in Madrid, Feldman returned to frontline service with the Brigade. On March 10, 1938, he was wounded in action during the Battle of Belchite, part of the Republicans' Aragon Offensive. This battle involved difficult house-to-house fighting and resulted in numerous casualties among the International Brigades.
As the tide of the war turned against the Republican forces, the International Brigades were withdrawn in a bid to pressure Franco's fascist allies to remove their troops as well. Feldman returned to the United States on October 25, 1938, aboard the Ile de France, along with many other American volunteers.
By 1950, Sol Feldman was living in the Bronx, New York, at 400 East Mosholu Parkway South with his family. At the age of 35, he was married and the head of his household. He worked 40 hours a week as a fur clerk in the import-export industry for a private company.
Cyrus, Adler. “Jewish Soldiers and Sailors.” Springer. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/23600173.pdf.
“Feldman, Solomon.” The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, July 22, 2022. https://alba-valb.org/volunteers/solomon-feldman/.
“New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center.” World War II honor list of dead and missing: state of New York. Adjutant-General’s Office. Washington: War Department, 1946. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://museum.dmna.ny.gov/soldiers-and-sailors/service-records/world-war-ii-honor-list-dead-and-missing-state-new-york-adjutant-generals-office-washington-war-department-1946/F.
Wallach, Nancy. “Recovering Voices of Unsung Heroes: Documenting Volunteers’ Lives.” The Volunteer, August 31, 2010. https://albavolunteer.org/2010/08/recovering-voices-of-unsung-heroes-documenting-volunteers-lives/.
National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: New York, Bronx, New York; Roll: 6176; Page: 72; Enumeration District: 3-2084