Sunday, May 8, 2011
Works Cited
"Bay of Pigs Invasion." The Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 09 May 2011.
"Bay of Pigs Invasion." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 6 May 2011. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion>.
Department of State. "A Program of Covert Action Against the Castro Regime, March 16, 1960."Latin American Studies. Foreign Relations of the United States 1958-1960, Volume VI, Cuba. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/cable/cable-3-16-60.htm>.
Holt, Chauncey. "Bay of Pigs." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Spartacus Educational. Web. 09 May 2011. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDbayofpigs.htm>.
Aftermath (2)
Actual Date: May 8, 2011
Historical Date: April 21, 1961
It has just come to my attention that Secretary of State Robert F. Kennedy has just released a statement about the Bay of Pigs invasion. A picture of it is copied below.
The bay of pigs was a huge disaster for the United States. Che Guevara sent a note to John F. Kennedy through secretary of the White house Richard Goodwin. It said, "Thanks for Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs). Before the invasion, the revolution was weak. Now it's stronger than ever." The Bay of Pigs actually did the exact opposite of what it was supposed to. Guevara said that before the Bay of Pigs, defectors from the regime was a huge problem. But now, they are experiencing none of it because, "[The]revolution left the opportunists, the ambitious, and the fearful far behind and now advances toward a new regime free of this class of vermin."
President Kennedy was so mad at the CIA and its incompetence that he said he wanted" to splinter the CIA in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds."
The invasion truly was a worse case scenario for the United States. We lost in every aspect of the battle.
Aftermath
Actual Date: May 8, 2011
Historical Date: April 21, 2011
Causalities in this conflict were numbered about four thousand people. Most of them Cuban militia. They were wounded or killed by bombings or fire fights. About one hundred forty Cuban exiles were wounded or killed as well. About five Americans were killed. The main loss to America was not lost on a battle field or during an air raid, but rather it's reputation and pride are hurt. The American people who learn about this conflict are appalled and amazed that the government would do such a ignorant thing. They agree that Castro needs to be taken out, but the American people think that this was not the right way to do it. So many things went wrong throughout the planning of this attack and almost all of these could have been avoided. The biggest issue was that not only did the Cuban military and militia know about the attack, but also the entire Cuban and American population due to leaks in our administration. The people involved couldn't keep it secret enough to protect our country and our objectives. This truly marks a low point in the history of the United States.
Invasion Day 3
Actual Date: May 8, 2011
Historical Date: April 19, 2011
Day two of the invasion didn't go well for the United States either. Cuban militia and military, with the support of tanks, pushed the Brigade forces toward Girón in the early hours of the morning. We also had six bombers equipped with bombs, machine guns, and napalm (two being CIA) bomb six buses with militia, soldiers, tanks and other armor to the battle front.
Day three of the invasion was even worse then day two. Today was the final air attack on Cuba. We called it mission code named Mad Dog Flight. This included five B-26 bombers, two of which were flown by CIA agents. Two of the planes were shot down and four Americans died.
Without air support and running low on supplies (mainly ammunition) the Brigade had to retreat back to Girón. Destroyers USS Murray and USS Eaton both tried to get near the beach to get the troops out, but they were shot at and had to retreat away from the bay.
This day marks the day where the United States government is humiliated and defeated. Although we were never directly involved with the fighting, the world knows of our involvement and stupidity.
Pictured below is the USS Eaton
Invasion Day (2)
Actual Date: May 8, 2011
Historical Date: April 17, 1961
New details of the invasion have just arrived. Today at eleven, Fidel Castro issued a Statement on the countries national radio (He control all means of communication throughout the country) that said that men from the Cuban revolutionary front have invaded Cuba and have come to take away the dignities and rights of the Cuban Citizens. This was a very good move on Castro's part. One of the main ways the American Government was hoping to get most of the military support was through the Cuban people joining the force once they were in the Bay of Pigs. Now that Castro has issued a Statement that these people have come to take away rights of the Cubans, the Cuban people will turn against the invasion force and help Castro. We have also learned that Osvaldo Ramírez (the rural resistance to Castro leader) was captured and promptly executed. We also had five bombers that were ready to take off but were grounded because of bad weather and bad visibility. Many people in the administration have said that these were excuses to hide the fear of anti- air craft weapons that the Cubans had stationed around the perimeter of the Island. The first day of attacks has gone horribly wrong.
Pictured below is a picture of the invasion.
Invasion Day (1)
Actual Date: May 8, 2011
Historical Date: April 17, 1961
Details from the invasion are coming in waves to me now but this is what I know: At about midnight, a diversion was sent to the North Shore of Cuba. Castro was lured out of the Bay of Pigs as some troops were moved. Then, at about the same time, a force of about one thousand four hundred Cubans in four ships landed in the Bay of Pigs. They had weapons, tanks, and other landing materials. Other smaller vessels carried troops over to other beaches near the Bay of Pigs. Some of the ships did not make it to the coast though because of unforeseen coral reefs in the area. The few militia left remaining at the Bay of Pigs successfully alerted Castro and his men of the invasion force at the Bay of Pigs. At about six thirty, three Cuban airplanes damaged the vessels leaving about 700 men without weapons or supplies. At about 7:30, about 180 paratroopers were dropped with heavy equipment and supplies. This equipment and supplies got lost in the swamps and the paratroopers were unable to block the road leading to the Bay of Pigs. The troops were pounded with rockets and tanks as their forces started to wear down. I will provide more details as they become available.
Pictured below is a picture of Castro watching the Bay of Pigs invasion.
http://www.miamiherald.com/multimedia/news/castro/bay.html
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