John F. Kennedy - The Bay of Pigs
America's Attempt to Eliminate Communism in the Western Hemisphere
Eisenhower’s Plan to Overthrow Fidel Castro
When President Dwight Eisenhower realized in 1960 that the new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, was one who would apply the principles of Communism to the little island 90 miles south of Florida, he became concerned. When Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began hinting that USSR rockets could protect Cuba from the United States, Eisenhower became seriously alarmed. Encouraged by the State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency, a covert plan was formed to use Cuban Exiles to invade Cuba. Their job would be to establish a beach head which would be populated with members of the United Revolutionary Front in South Florida who would set up an independent government and rally Cuban support to overthrow the Castro Government.
The Cuban Exiles: Brigade 2506
Manuel Artíme, who was part of the revolution that brought Castro to power, turned against him after attending a high level meeting where he reported that Castro announced his intention to eliminate all private property and create a Communist government. Artíme became the political leader of the Castro resistance in the U.S. According to the CIA plan, training camps were established across the Gulf of Mexico in Guatemala. One thousand four hundred Cuban exiles would be trained there by the CIA. The Covert nature of this training was severely compromised and the Cuban Ambassador made accusations that the US was plotting the overthrow of Cuba in concert with the government of Guatemala. On September 8, 1960 Carlos Rodriguez Santana died in a training accident at the TRAX base in Guatemala. As the first to give his life in this effort, the training group decided to take on his identification number and thereafter was called Brigade 2506.
Kennedy Pulls the Trigger
In January 1961, John F. Kennedy became President of the United States. He had campaigned hard and established himself as the enemy of Communism, even criticizing Eisenhower for being soft on this form of government. When he took office, he was made aware of the plan to overthrow Castro and with the support of his brother and new U.S. Attorney Robert Kennedy, the plan proceeded. On April 17, several ships left the Guatemalan coast and headed for Cuba. The original plan had called for landing Brigade 2506 in Trinidad, about 250 miles southeast of Havana and close to the foothills of the Escambray Mountains where a band of rebels were said to be hiding and where the Brigade could look for safety in the event of a failed mission. As the Kennedy administration took over the plan was changed to invade at the Bay of Pigs (Bahía de Cochinos) site that the event is named for. This plan is the least favored of all military advisors but the President believes it will require the least American support.
The Invasion
The initial action sent American B-26 Bombers painted to be disguised as Cuban to destroy Castro’s Air Force. The first wave of bombings was less than spectacular. A second wave would be required. Cuba immediately blamed the U.S. in the world press for the invasion. On April 16, American planes and ships load up to deliver paratroopers and ground forces to the Bay of Pigs strike point. Early on the morning of April 17, Cuban defense forces report being under attack. The initial forces had landed successfully. The Cuban army and Air Force were called to respond. Many of the Brigade’s landing vehicles broke down so many of the troops and most of the supplies never made it ashore. Air attacks on U.S. ships cause the Navy to retreat to fifty miles from the shore effectively ending U.S Naval support.
Disastrous Conclusion
The Cuban Air Force, left intact after the bombing on April 15, attacked the invading forces. Pinned down by these air strikes, Brigade 2506 leaders called for the U.S. to send the second wave of bombers to disable Castro’s air power. What they didn't know was that President Kennedy, deciding that the risk of discovery of America’s help was too big to take, cancelled the second run. Because of the location of the invasion, there is no place for the Brigade to hide. Cuban Air and ground forces surround them and the invasion fails. Twenty months later, the US concludes negotiations with Castro and exchanges $53 million worth of medical supplies for imprisoned Brigade 2506. In a meeting with President Kennedy the survivors presented him with their Brigade flag and Kennedy made this promise, “I can assure you that this flag will be returned to this Brigade in a free Havana”.
Sources
Decision for Disaster: Betrayal at the Bay of Pigs by Grayston L. Lynch, 2000, Brassey's Inc.
Ike's Spies: Eisenhower and the Espionage Establishment by Stephen E. Ambrose and Richard H. Immerman, 1999, University Press of Mississippi
Apollo's Warriors: United States Air Force Special Operations During the Cold War by Michael E. Haas, 1998, Diane Publishing
