European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Bay of pigs by Matthew c. Quinn United press International t Wenty five years after the Bay of pigs there is no doubt the american backed invasion of Cuba was an utter failure an that the fiasco continues to Cloud . Policy toward latin America. On april 17, 1961, a ragtag Force of 1,400 cuban exiles financed and trained by the Cia landed on the Southern coast of Cuba intending to liberate their Homeland from communism Only to be routed in the Mosquito infested swamps by cuban forces under the personal command of Fidel Castro. How could i have been so stupid to allow them to go ahead president John f. Kennedy said afterwards of the event that jolted his three month old administration and Many believe helped spawn the cuban missile and Berlin crises. There is agreement inside and outside of government that the humiliating episode gained absolutely nothing for the United states and in fact made things worse. Castro was bolstered abroad for defeating America 90 Miles from its Shore consolidated his Power at Home with a death Knell to whatever resistance was left and was driven further into the soviet orbit. I think the Bay of pigs is one of the few oddities of history that s very rare a perfect failure said historian Arthur Schlesinger jr., who As a White House aide to Kennedy argued against the invasion. Like others he closed ranks with his colleagues once the go decision was made. Debate still is heard on whether the Cia s invasion plan was a losing proposition from the Start or whether american air strikes cancelled by Kennedy would have boosted the Chance of Success. Both sides in the current debate Over american support for the Contra rebels battling in Nicaragua cite the Bay of pigs. Critics of the Reagan administration s plans to give military Aid to the rebels charge Nicaragua is a Bay of pigs replay supporters say the United states should not make the same mistake in Nicaragua and should give the contras All the support they need. The Cia has never fully recovered from the fiasco its worst failure Ever. The episode is seared in the memory of cubans who remained on the communist run Island and those who left. I Don t blame president Kennedy said Eneido Oliva second in command of the cuban exile brigade and who led a Small that fought valiantly in the cuban swamps for 10 Days. It was a political decision. I never thought about defeat. I am a professional Soldier said Oliva who is thought to be the last of the invaders to surrender. I accomplished my Mission. I am proud of what i did. I m proud of what the men who fought with me  Oliva was one of 1,189 Brig distas taken prisoner by Castro. Another 114 of the invaders died and about 150 never made the Landing. Che Guevara visited Oliva in prison and told him he would be executed he still does not understand Why he was not. Castro ransomed the prisoners to the United states after 20 months for $53 million. They were met by Kennedy at the Orange bowl in Miami where Oliva presented Kennedy with the brigade s Flag that had flown for three Days at Giron at the Mouth of Bahia de Cochinos the Bay of pigs. I can assure you that this Flag will be returned to his brigade at a free Havana Kennedy promised the cubans. But 25 years later Oliva 53, a brigadier general in the District of Columbia National guard and a . Government official has Given up on the idea of organizing an invading Force instead hoping that someday Cuba could be freed from the  e. Howard Hunt the Cia s pre invasion Liaison with cuban exile politicians who went on to plot the watergate break in said the brigade had been evaluated by the Pentagon As the finest most capable fighting Force in the  a perfect failure american b-26 bomber lies wrecked and burned at the Airstrip near Giron Cuba. A photo. President Kennedy with former president Eisenhower while contemplating Bay of pigs invasion. A photo prisoners captured by cubans at Giron Beach Las Villas province in Cuba. I know it s an unfashionable word Hunt said but they were betrayed by  but Oliva who once said he would have swum to Cuba with 50 men to strike at Castro with or without american help insisted i never Ever not even when i was in prison Felt betrayed by the United  since the Bay of pigs . Administrations have alternately sought to assassinate Castro isolate him negotiate with him improve relations threaten or just Plain ignore him. But the Basic equation has been Static. With massive soviet assistance the bearded charismatic Leader has remained a Thorn in Washington s Side with his support of leftist National liberation movements worldwide including Nicaragua. The administration is willing to reach agreements with Castro on such minor practical items As immigration. But officials conceding his popularity look to his eventual passing from the scene for a break in the stalemate. At 59, however Castro is Well entrenched and appears vibrant despite periodic rumours of ill health. Cuba and the United states have had diplomatic offices but not formal embassies in each others capitals since 1979 under an agreement reached during the Carter administration and the United states maintains a Trade embargo. President Eisenhower broke diplomatic relations in 1961 As his administration put the forces in motion for the invasion that Kennedy failed to halt. Wayne Smith who headed the . Interests Section in Havana from 1979-82 during the Carter Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday april 20, 1986 administration said that in his dealings with the cubans the Bay of pigs is always  they will say you did in once inv not again?1 " he said. It s ingrained in the cuban  the Bay of pigs also seems ingrained on the american psyche. It most recently reared its head in the debate Over the Reagan administration s proposal to provide $100 million in Aid $70 million of it military to the some 15,000 Contra rebels seeking to topple Nicaragua s sandinista regime. Kennedy during the 1960 election Campaign called the anti Castro forces fighters for  his opponent vice president Richard Nixon called the Castro regime a cancer that must be removed. The Reagan administration has used the same rhetoric to make its Case for Contra Aid. Up photo administration critics say that in both cases popular opposition to the government in Power was oversold in Washington. In the same Way that the Cia predicted a popular uprising against Castro would follow an invasion they say the Reagan administration is exaggerating popular support for the contras. This re enactment of the Bay of pigs in Central America today shows just How Short memory is said Schlesinger. Administration supporters also see similarities contending the United states showed a Lack of will in Cuba by failing to intervene militarily to help the invaders secure a beachhead where they could set up a provisional government. They warn the nation should not make the same mistake in Nicaragua. The Reagan people Are determined not to make the same mistake that the Kennedy people did that is to say they did t follow through said Mark Falcoff a latin american specialist at the conservative american Enterprise Institute. This is not just an exotic group of people dropped onto the beaches but rather a movement that has a certain continuity within nicaraguan society and indeed is a threat to the regime in a Way i Don t think the Bay of pigs Ever  but former . Diplomat Smith who now teaches and writes on policy issues believes Cuba is very analogous to the current situation in Nicaragua. The contras can t win unless we go in with our own troops he said. Cubans who recall the invasion Day a Quarter of a Century earlier describe How the Road to the area was so crowded with militia volunteers vehicles could not move. There Are few More inauspicious Sites for a strike than the Bay 100 Miles Southeast of Havana chosen by the Cia for the Landing. Virtually isolated by mangrove swamps and fronted by a Coral reef on one Side Only a few peasants living in huts could have joined the invaders. Instead after the Landing Force shot their Homes As they slept and killed several fleeing the rest rushed off to sound the warning. Brigade 2506, trained by the Cia in Camps in Southern Florida and Guatemala left from puerto Cabezas Nicaragua for their Landing in the Bay in the Early hours of april 17. Within hours of the Landing Castro took up Headquarters at the Australia sugar Mill in Maguey Grande 17 Miles North sending messages to Fernandez in the Field with one Clear objective preventing the exiles from establishing a beachhead. On the second Day of fighting Castro s instructions ended with Fidel says that you must take Playa Larga without  several hours later As Fernandez and his Green militia pursued the exhausted exiles to Giron Castro insisted on Victory the moment is now or  Castro himself knew the Region Well. He often fished in the area and established a military watch Post there to warn of attack. Expecting an imminent invasion Castro had by coincidence called for a . General Assembly debate to discuss various plans of aggression and acts of intervention by the . Government in cuban affairs. Aging cuban air Force t-33 sea furies and b-26 bombers sunk five Landing Craft and cargo ships shot Down exile and Cia pilots and prevented the Landing party from receiving crucial ammunition and other supplies. Castro s forces finished off the exiles after they were forced to Retreat 20 Miles to the South to the Beach known As Giron. Victory for Castro was Complete As his troops captured 1,197 prisoners rounding Many of them up in the Zapata swamp the Only cover in the area. A few prisoners wanted for pre revolutionary crimes were shot. Others were sentenced to prison terms but most were exchanged for $53 million in food Medicine and supplies 20 months later. Cuba built a War museum with a downed bomber in front at Giron to commemorate the Victory. Close by Are several Homes hit by invaders aircraft. They have been left As they were after the Battle. In Maguey Grande where the Strong odor of molasses from the sugar Mill permeates the air another museum at Castro s Headquarters displays a Standard Issue mess kit and a Metal spoon marked ".," along with the destroyed engine of a downed aircraft. Cuba planned no fanfare to celebrate the anniversary. Cuban authorities have underscored the defense of the Island and that its revolution is permanent. Nearly All cubans Are trained in rudimentary military defense and 1 million out of the 10 million people belong to the militia. Just one sign sits in front of the traffic police Headquarters in Havana. Playa Giron was a lesson from history that imperialists should not forget or the people will refresh their memories with a new  sunday april 20, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17