Invasion! by wysiwig
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Description
On January 1, 1959, Castro’s revolutionary forces overthrew the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. In April of that year, Castro visited the United States at the invitation of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He had hoped to have a meeting with President Dwight D. Eisenhower but Eisenhower refused. In less than a year, President Eisenhower would order the CIA to begin arming and training a group of Cuban exiles to attack Cuba.
On April 17, 1961, two CIA LCIs (Landing Craft Infantry), each under the command of a CIA operations officer, entered Playa Girón, also known as the Bay of Pigs, on the southern coast of Cuba. They headed a force of four transport ships carrying 1,400 Cuban exiles, tanks and other vehicles. The invasion force also included air cover. Four of five planes were piloted by American CIA contract air crews and pilots from the Alabama Air National Guard.
They were met by a hastily organized local militia which fought the invaders until the Cuban army joined them and turned the tide. By April 19 most of the exiles had retreated to the beach where destroyers USS Eaton and USS Murray moved into the bay in an attempt at evacuation.
By April 22 it was over. The Cuban armed forces suffered 183 killed in action. One hundred and twenty four exiles and four American air-men were also killed. In December 1962, 1,113 prisoners were repatriated to the United States in exchange for $53 million in food and medicine.
In August 1961, Che Guevara sent a note to President John F. Kennedy which said: "Thanks for Playa Girón. Before the invasion, the revolution was weak. Now it's stronger than ever.” By May 1962, Castro had allied himself with the Soviet Union and Soviet missiles were on their way to Cuba.
You might be forgiven if you find all this depressingly familiar given recent world events.
Comments (10)
kgb224
A moment in history you share here my friend. One would never have thought that any one can now set foot in Cuba and thanks to you and your picture that you share here we can now see where a piece of history took place. Thank you for sharing this picture and all that you have shared of Cuba and that you would still share in the coming days. Superb capture my friend. God bless.
durleybeachbum
I remember the 1961 events well, as I was just beginning to be politically aware.
Cyve
Fantastic view and shot my friend !!!
Faemike55
A good reminder about cause and effect
sandra46
GREAT WORK!
MrsRatbag
I remember the 1961 events with the hazy misunderstanding of a 7-year-old picking up bits and pieces off the television news in passing, which unfortunately meant I developed insomnia and lay awake all night listening for the sound of bombers coming to kill us all. We were told to bring our survival kits to school and practiced getting under the desk for "bomb alerts". What a thing to do to kids without a fuller explanation! That period in history had a lot of trauma for a naive nation. Not that we're a whole lot better off now, maybe worse, because now we're even more arrogant along with it. Most of the time I don't like us very much. But I like this blue water/sky view very well, a beautiful shot!
auntietk
I would much rather contemplate being invaded by that big cloud. It's a lovely scene!
anahata.c
a splendid peaceful scene, with real beauty and also menace, perhaps your way of capturing both the beauty of Cuba and the menace of military threat and invasion, along with the darkness that it brought. The ship out there somehow fits the whole narrative. And the clear waters in front---where we can see the seabed below it---makes it feel that there's real calmness just under the surface of these events.
I too was a kid when all this unfolded; and, like denise I remember the fear that we'd all be done in. Yet now it seems like this huge horrific effort at imperialism; and I didn't know that Che wrote that letter: Amazing thing to say! I remember (later on) that JFK felt bamboozled by the whole thing, drawn into something he didn't understand. And I remember there were a lot of US secret ops concerning Cuba in those days. You gave the history briefly and succinctly; and your image amazingly captures beauty and darkness at the same time. Another example of how well you do this, Mark.
netot
Beautiful place. I was 5 years old when it happened, but my Mom told me about it a few years after!
blondeblurr
I am with Tara, on this one - one huge and ominous cloud is far more interesting and fascinating with those reflections on the ocean...
but the horizon line looks a bit wobbly, I would have straightened it, just a mere thought.
wysiwig
Actually, if you look at the boat and the horizon behind it the picture is straight. The curve of the bay makes the right side look tilted.