Colonel Otacílio Rodrigues da Silva: one life, many stories

The aim of this study was to learn about the history of Octacílio Rodrigues da Silva, his parents and siblings who lived nearby. In 1919, the family settled in the present-day city of Giruá because they were building the railway, which would change the growth of the city and colonisation in the north-western region of Rio Grande do Sul. Since he was a policeman, he retired with the rank of colonel in the Military Brigade. This work involves his first brothers, inherited from his father. They are involved in various aspects of Brazilian and regional politics in the 1930s, the Prestes Column and the Second World War. It includes his studies and his private life after his retirement with philanthropic work. As a result, the story is both familiar and new from the point of view of the 97-year-old soldier.