I'm going to talk to Mr.

António, an ex- military man from the 60's, who will tell us
about some of his experiences in the war.
Good morning grandpa, I'm going to interview you today. This work is for an Erasmus
project and I hope we have fun and get to know more about your history.

I know that you participated in the war, tell us more about what happened there.

Hello, I went to the war in Guinea Bissau in 1969. It was a very complicated time, we
received little money and we had to know how to manage it. I watched horrible things, they
sold and bought children and only released them when they reached 20 years old. We ate
two or three meals a day and slept in bunk beds.

What kind of materials and strategies did you use?

We had different types of weapons. Shotguns, bombs, grenades we dug trenches to protect
ourselves. Despite all the lives lost, I learned a lot during those years. I left people behind
that I will never forget. Not all experiences were bad and I think that in all evil there is always
a good that prevails.

Weren't you afraid to be there? When you left, how was it to get back to your normal
life?

Of course I was afraid, both my friends and I, what we were most concerned about was
getting out of that war alive. I left for Portugal, which at the time we called Metropolis, in
1974. I was relieved and happy to be back and all that peace was strange to me. When I
heard the hunters hunting I would quickly lie down on the ground because I was used to
reacting like that to every shot sound. It was difficult to adapt to all that serenity but it was
quite comforting to be back home.

When you see your photos do you feel nostalgic? Do you think photos are good for
remembering moments?

Despite all the scary moments, it's obvious that I miss it when I go to see my old photos.
Those were different times and people were simpler and more honest than they are now. I
had true friendships that unfortunately I couldn't keep in touch with but at that time they
helped me in everything.

Unfortunately, in the 21st century there are still wars. As an ex-military, what do you
think of these situations?

Despite the shocking number of victims that the war brings, the increase in prices of all
products essential to human life and the shock and psychological consequences that these
events bring, there are still people who believe that money is above all. Human greed is
something that is always on the rise and I don't think we can stop it. Ambitions are good up
to a certain level.
It's worrying when someone puts power over people's well-being. As a more evolved
generation, I thought that Man was capable of solving his problems through conversations,
finding the most logical path that causes less damage. I thought that Man in these situations
could be more rational and act differently than our ancestors did.

It really is sad. Do you think that the evolution of the media has contributed to an
improvement in war strategies?

Through the news and the internet it is possible to know a lot. Thanks also to journalists who
risk their lives so that people are always informed. In my opinion, nowadays it's just outdated
who wants to. I cannot say that the new technologies help in war strategies but I believe that
they have some influence on sensitizing people so that similar events do not happen in the
near future.

Thank you for your help grandpa!

The pleasure is all mine!