Personal diary of a Cuban soldier in Angola, Chibemba (repurposed 1981 agenda), August 1981 – July 1982
Entry/Object ID
2025.11.21
Scope and Content
A handmade field diary built from a repurposed commercial datebook. The printed front cover reads "[AG]ENDA 1981" in white on blue, over a reproduced illustration of standing figures with a banner. The volume has been rebound/reinforced along the spine with red-and-cream floral-patterned cloth or paper, hand-lettered in dark ink: "AGOSTO 1981 – CHIBEMBA – JULIO 1982." A strip of blue adhesive tape crosses the front cover (later repair or label). The interior holds the diarist's manuscript entries (not shown; not examined here).
Acquisition
Accession
2025.11
Acquisition Method
Purchase
Notes
Bought from the creator.
Archive Details
Date(s) Material Assembled
8/1981 - 7/1982
Archive Notes
Maker: The diarist — a Cuban soldier (identity withheld; no name is visible on the cover). The underlying printed agenda's publisher is not identified.
Place of Origin: Created/used in Angola (Chibemba, Huíla Province) by a Cuban serviceman
Historical significance: A first-person artifact of Cuba's "internationalist" military mission in Angola (Operation Carlota). The Aug 1981–Jul 1982 span at Chibemba places the diarist in the southern front during a period of major South African incursions (Operations Konyn and Protea, 1981) — a notable primary source for Cuban material culture of the Angola deployment.
