 Kuputika kweHondo yevagari vemo yeSpain muna 1936 kwakaguma nemapato akawanda emakomonisiti enyika dzakawanda achitumira vanhu uye kutsigira mari kuSpain yeRepublican. Garland, ari munhu anorwisana nechiFascist uye ari nhengo yesangano rechiKomonisiti rokuAmerica, akazvipira kushanda muSpain. Akaenda kuFrance akatasva SS Champlain musi wa5 Ndira 1937 uye kubva ipapo akaenda kunzvimbo dzeRepublican. Paakangosvika muSpain akabatana neboka raizova Abraham Lincoln Battalion, umo akagadzwa kuva mutungamiriri wedhipatimendi pamusana pezvaakanga amboita muchiuto. Garland akakuvadzwa muhondo musi wa 27 Kukadzi panguva yekufambira mberi kwe17th International Column paJarama. Paakanga achiri kupora, Garland akasarudzwa kuti apinde chikoro chokudzidzisa maofficial, uye akadzokera kumberi semutungamiriri webato remapfuti akatumidzwa zita rokuti Washington Battalion. Garland akakuvadzwa kechipiri muna Chikunguru 1937 panguva yekukundwa kweRepublican muhondo yeBrunete. Kutevera kukuvadzwa kwake kwechipiri, Garland akasimudzirwa kuva kaputeni uye akapiwa mutungamiri weCanada Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion apo kuumbwa kwaive mukurovedza. Muna August akabatana naLangston Hughes naHarry Haywood kuti vaparidzire shoko renhepfenyuro kuUnited States vari muSpain nechinangwa chokuunganidza rutsigiro rwechiRepublican. Garland akarayirwa kuti adzokere kuUnited States muna October kuti awane mari uye vanhu veInternational Brigades. Paakadzokera kuUnited States, Garland akatanga kukurudzira Congress kuti ibvise kurambidzwa kwezvombo kuRepublican Spain. Muna 1938 akamhanya somumiriri weCommunist Party weNew York 17th Assembly District, hofisi yaaizomhanya zvakare muna 1940. Garland akaramba achishanda neshamwari dzeAbraham Lincoln Brigade neAmerican Medical Bureau mushure mekukundwa kweRepublican cause muna 1939. 