“Don’t look at us as old men! We want to work for socialism” – Letter of the Vlora veterans and Enver Hoxha’s response (1968)

In the early days of 1968, war and labor veterans gathered in the Vlora district to draft a declaration of loyalty to the Party and Enver Hoxha . In the letter addressed to the leader, they wrote:

“In this truly revolutionary momentum, unprecedented in the history of our nation, we want to do something too.”

They proudly recall that some of them participated in the Declaration of Independence in 1912 , the War of Vlora in 1920 , and the revolt against Zog , while now they are committed to not “occupying the corner of comfort.”

Excerpt from the veterans’ letter:

They mention by specific names figures of old age who are not sitting idly by:

• Nulo Delo , at the age of 80, leads the village of Brataj in the construction of the highway.
• Ibrahim Shyti , an elderly man who continues to organize historical documents for the Vlora museum.
• Shaqo Deri writes a book about the events of 1920.
• Malo Beqari , with the “will of a young man”, leads the Party organization in the neighborhood.
• Mustafa Luçi , who lost two sons in the war, now collects the folklore of Labëria.

Their concrete commitments:

In the letter, veterans make 8 commitments, including:

1. To educate the youth in revolutionary traditions.
2. To assist territorial formations for defense.
3. To submit documents and memories to the museum.
4. To collect folklore and photographs of martyrs.
5. To volunteer in harvesting and irrigation in the village.
6. To fight the petty bourgeois mentality and increase the role of women.
7. To assist in the construction of public facilities.
8. Maintain parks and gardens for children.

Enver Hoxha’s response:

In his letter, Enver Hoxha writes:

“With great joy I read your letter, so passionate and revolutionary… You are witnesses to a history that should not be forgotten.”

He congratulates them for their “inspiring example” and invites them to stay connected to the labor sectors , share their experience, help youth, impart socialist education, and contribute to the eradication of patriarchal customs .

Historical value:

This document is more than a letter. It is a living manifesto of the spirit of total mobilization of the Albanian dictatorship , where even the elders had a “party duty.”

This period knew no retirement for the revolutionary spirit – it had to survive until its last breath.