At the Bay of Pigs monument in Little Havana, the torch is lit and a wreath of flowers is up commemorating those who risked their lives to overthrow the Cuban government more than 50 years ago.
Bombings and air strikes over Cuba took place exactly 56 years ago Monday, when the American backed and financed invasion on the communist island took place.
“It was our duty to fight for Cuba’s independence and freedom,” said Jose Andreu, a veteran of that mission who was among the first to reach the beaches of Cuba.
Andreu was 24 years old when he joined Brigade 2506, joining hundreds of other Cuban exiles as they trusted the American government under President John F. Kennedy to help them overthrow dictator Fidel Castro.
The brigade pushed inland and Castro’s people fought back. Their planes were shot down, ships sunk and within minutes they lost their air cover and supply.
“I remember distinctly seeing North American jets go over Cuba, over the battlefield when we were being bombarded by the enemy and not shooting those Cuban pilots down,” Andreu said. “They were taking photographs, the sense of sadness, frustration, anger and hate you develop in those moments are always with you.”
Andreu was jailed and singled out by Castro after the invasion, where he was constantly interrogated – saying it was “easy to stick to two or three principles and defend them there as you would have defended them elsewhere.”
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Almost 1,200 members of Brigade 2506 surrendered, and more than 100 were killed.
“Because of us, there were prior movements and after we failed there were still guerrilla fighters in Cuba,” said Andreu. “So even after feeling hopeless after betrayal we suffered by the American government, they continued fighting. It gives you the best idea of the depth of our feelings.”
