JOSE PEREZ SAN ROMAN

BRIGADE COMMANDER

MUSEUM AND LIBRARY OF THE BAY OF PIGS VETERANS ASOCIATION

BRIGADE 2506
By ESTEBAN L. BOVO-CARAS

FLAG AND COAT OF ARMS OF THE 2506 ASSAULT BRIGADE

MIAMI 1959

MIAMI 1959

P & O DOCK FOR THE SS FLORIDA

LINE BETWEEN MIAMI & HAVANA

VIEW OF THE CITY OF HAVANA FROM THE MORRO CASTLE AND ENTRANCE TO THE HAVANA BAY HAVANA A CITY THAT NEVER SLEPT

SPORTS PALACE

LA HABANA

IN THE LATE 1958

1959

Former Cuban Army Major, Jesus Sosa Blanco, in a Roman Circus Trial, sentenced to death by fire squad, accused of war crimes, never committed in order to scare the Cuban population and wake up popular frenzy and the PAREDON cry

"Thank you, Seor Mikoyan," said the Havana newspaper, Diario de la Marina. "Your visit has clarified many things and defined the camps: on one side the Communists and their knowing and unknowing accomplices; on the other side Cubans who want to continue being free men in a free world."

Battle of Wreaths.
Next morning at 11:30, Mikoyan laid a hammer-andsickle wreath on the statue of Jose Marti, Cuba's George Washington, and took off for the Palace of Fine Arts, two blocks away, to open a Russian exposition with an outdoor speech. A few minutes later a small group of students approached the statue with their own wreath, bearing a ribbon that said: "Vindication for the visit of the assassin Mikoyan." When cops waved them off, a student shouted: "If he can place a wreath, why can't we?" Soldiers guarding Mikoyan at the exposition rushed up on the double, began firing their new Belgian automatic rifles wildly in the air, and one student was wounded.

THIS IS HOW THE EXODUS BEGAN

THIS IS THE BEGINNING, A YOUNG GROUP OF STUDENTS AND MILITARY OFFICERS

USEPPA ISLAND, IN THE GULF COAST OF

FLORIDA
FIRST BRIGADE TRAINNING

BASE

LUIS O RODRIGUEZ ALVIN ROSS JOSE MACIAS JORGE VEGA ARMANDO BASULTO

JULIO BUENO
MARIO MARTINEZ LUIS M MEDINA EL RUSITO

YOUNG CUBANS READY TO JOIN THE FORCES

FERNANDO MARQUET

Caligula

COUNTRIES WHERE THE BRIGADE TRAINED

FLORIDA

LOUISIANA

TEXAS

PANAMA CANAL ZONE PANAMA

GUERRILLA TRAINING

HELVETIA COFFEE PLANTATION

FIRST HOME FOR PILOTS AND INFILTRATION TEAMS

RETALHULEU

GUATEMALA

RETALHULEU GUATEMALA

BASE TRAX
LOCATED AT 6000 FEET, ABOVE SEA LEVEL

PARATROOPERS BASE HALCON

BASE RAYO

BASE TRAX

VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS OF GUATEMALA FROM THE BASE TRAX, NEXT TO THE SANTIAGUITO VULCAN AT 6000 FEET A.S.L.

JOSE PEREZ SAN ROMAN MILITARY COMMANDER

MANUEL ARTIME BUESA CIVIL DIRECTOR

SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF CHARITY CUBAS PATRON SAINT

TRAX INFANTRY BASE

MOMENTOS AT BASE TRAX

Raul de Varona, Quesada and Manuel Blanco Navarro, The last one executed after having his blood drained

DO YOU REMEMBER
NAPOLEON VALERIANO VALLEJO
OUR PHILIPINO TRAINER

THE FALCONS ?

WHO WERE THEY ?

WHITE RUSSIANS, GERMANS, KOREAN, SLOVACKS, POLES, PHILIPINES, AMERICANS

WHERE ARE THEY NOW ?

OPEN AIR TRAINNING

CLOSED AIR SUPPORT

PARATROOPERS TRAINING, SERGIO CARRILLO, NOW A CATHOLIC PRIEST, EMBRACING LONG TIME FRIEND MANUEL ARTIMES CIVILIAN INVASION LEADER

HEAVY WEAPONS BATTALION CONSISTING OF 57 mm RECOILESS RIFLES, 75 mm RECOILESS RIFLES, AND 4.2 MORTARS

CIA MILITARY ADVISORS

C. B.
HOWRAD HUNT

CUBAN INVASION WARNING

BASE RAYO
RETALHULEU GUATEMALA

LA PERLA DEL PACIFICO EN LA CIUDAD DE LAS PALMERAS

THE PEARL OF THE PACIFIC IN THE CITY OF THE PALMS

RAYO AIR BASE

RUNWAY AT THE HALCON BASE, HOME OF THE PARATROOPERS

B-26S & C-46S AT RETALHULEU, GUATEMALA

PILOTS BARRACKS

BASE OPEN AIR THEATRE

B-26 INVADER
REAR GUN TURRETS REMOVED

DROPABLE GAS TANKS ADDED

Revolutionary Air Force B-26 with a plastic bombardier nose, in old Cuban Air Force colors

Cuban Liberation Air Force B-26 with a solid nose and eight .50 mm Browning machine gun in it

CASTROS AIR FORCE INSIGNIA

C-54, USED TO TRANSPORT THE RECRUITS FROM MIAMI TO GUATEMALA AND TO SUPPLY THE GUERRILAS INSIDE CUBA

PBY CATALINA RESCUE PLANE FOR DOWNED FLYERS

ONE OF THE BOATS USED FOR INFILTRATION AND EXFILTRATION OF PERSONNEL IN AND OUT OF CUBA, AS WELL AS FOR CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS

THE SEAGULL, USED BY THE BRIGADES NAVY DURING OPERATION ESPEJISMO AS PART OF THE ELECTRONIC WARFARE IN THE NORTH COAST OF CUBA, DURING THE BAY OF PIGS INVASION

PUERTO CABEZAS DOCK

LOADING IN PUERTO CABEZAS

AMMO, GASOLINE, EXPLOSIVES AND PERSONNEL LOADED IN EACH VESSEL, AGAINST ALL COMMON PRACTICE

N3-S-A1 COASTAL CARGO SHIPS

ATLANTIC CARIBE RIO ESCONDIDO LAKE CHARLES HOUSTON

OWNED BY THE GARCIA LINES

THE HOUSTON

The Santa Ana that carried the Special Battalion, a diversionary landing operation in the southern coast of the Oriente province, near Santiago de Cuba, that could not land because a large numbers of Castros troops were waiting for them

THE BLAGAR

CIA RELEASED DOCUMENT ESTABLISHING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND OF THE CUBAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, BETTER KNOWN AS THE ASSAULT BRIGADE 2506

PARATROOPER BATTALION
FIRST COMBAT JUMP IN THE AMERICAS FIRST COMBAT JUMP AT 600 OF ALTITUDE

BATTALIONS 1, 2, 3, 5, 6

7TH. BATTALION, SPECIAL BATTALION, HOMESTEAD REAR GUARD BATTALION

HEAVY WEAPONS BATALLION

BON BLIN 4TH. BATALLION

2.5 TON TRUCK WITH A .50 CALIBER BROWNING MACHINE GUN MOUNTED

JEEP 4 CYLINDER ENGINE MILITARY VEHICLE

M-41 TANK COMPANY

M-41 WALKER TANK

COMBAT ENGINEERS

UNDER WATER DEMOLITION TEAM

PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA

HAPPY VALLEY AIR FORCE BASE PUERTO CABEZAS, NIGARAGUA

HEADQUARTERS COMPANY AND BATTALION COMMANDERS PRACTICING THE LANDING OFF THE NICARAGUAN COAST

FINAL BRIEFING BEFORE THE LANDINGS GIVEN BY THE CIA AND MILITARY ADVISERS TO THE BRIGADE OFFICERS IN PUERTO CABEZAS, NICARAGUA, BEFORE BOARDING THEIR VESSELS

PARATROOPER BATTALION STAFF

THE PARATROOPER BATTALION

179 MEN STRONG

MISSION BRIEFING

PARATROOPERS LAST SUPPER

CURTISS C-46 USED FOR SUPPLY MISSIONS TO THE GUERRILLAS AND TO DROP THE PARATROOPERS BATTALION IN PLAYA GIRON

B-26 SQUADRON PLANES READY FOR COMBAT AUXILARY GAS TANKS UNDER THE WINGS ROCKET PODS READY TO RECEIVE THE ROCKETS

SEA FURY BEEN ARMED AT SAN ANTONIO DE LOS BAOS AIR FORCE BASE WITH BOMBS AND ROCKETS

FAR T-33

April 16, D-DAY -1 AT 1700 HOURS, RENDEVOUZ OF THE INVASION FORCES OUT OF CUBAN WATERS AND RAISING THE CUBAN FLAG,
Navy Captain Joaquin Varela Canosa, Brigade Commander Jose Perez San Roman, Civilian Leader Manuel Artimes Buesa, Dr. Juan Rodriguez Pintado MD and Captain Juan Cosculluela, Senior Cuban Officer on the Blagar

U.S. NAVY TASK FORCE ALPHA, CARRIER ESSEX, 7 DESTROYERS AND 2 SUBMARINES UNDER THE COMMAND OF ADMIRAL DENNINSON

USS COEY, USS EATON, USS BEALE, USS MURRAY, USS WALLER USS BACHE, USS CONWAY, and two submarine of the Balao class, one of them the USS COBBLER

FUERZA DE TAREA ALFA

TASK FORCE ALPHA

ADLAI STEVENSON UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, USING THE FALSE INFORMATION GIVEN TO HIM BY THE CIA AT THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSAMBLY

SATELLITE PICTURE OF GIRON

PLAYA GIRON

U-2 AIR PHOTO OF THE LANDING ZONE

THE SAN MARCOS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, TRANSPORTED THE M-41 TANKS, THE ARMOURED TRUCKS AND JEEPS, AND WAS THE ONLY U.S. VESSEL THAT ENTERED CUBAN TERRITORIAL WATERS

LCU USED TO BRING THE TANKS, ARMOURED TRUCKS AND TROOPS TO THE BEACH HEAD &
HIGGINGS BOATS USED TO LAND TROOPS

LANDING CRAFTS (LCVP) DESTROYED BY THE HEAVY CORAL ROCKS IN THE LANDING ZONE AT GIRON

THE INVASION LANDING BEGAN IN THE EARLY HOURS OF APRIL 17TH 1961 STARTED WITH THE 2ND BATTALION

19 FOOT FISHING BOATS, WITH A 60 hp OVER THE BOARD MOTOR, USED TO FERRY THE TROOPS

DURATECH 19 ALUMINUM BOATS USED TO BRING THE BRIGADE TO THE BEACHHEAD

THE SINKING OF THE HOUSTON

ONE OF THE BRIGADES NAVY CARGO SHIP EXPLOTTING IN THE EARLY HOURS OF APRIL 17

COMMAND POST OF CASTROS COMMUNIST TROOPS AT THE AUSTRALIA SUGAR MILL

LOW FLYING

B-26 OVER GIRON

THE DEATH ROAD

CASTROS SOLDIERS UNDER FIRE

DOWNED B-26 AT GIRON AIRPORT

SOVIET T-34 TANKS ON THE WAY TO GIRON

ROAD FROM JAGUEY GRANDE TO PLAYA LARGA UNDER FIRE

T-34 SOVIET STALIN TANKS ADVANCING UNDER FIRE

THE

DEATH HIGHWAY
TUESDAY

APRIL 18, 1961 IN THE

AFTERNOON

DISABLED BRIGADE TANK

CUBAN COMMUNIST RUSSIAN MADE 122 MM HOWITZERS GUNS FIRING ON THE BRIGADE POSITIONS

SOME OF THE MANY THOUSANDS ENEMY SOLDIERS WOUNDED BY THE BRIGADE FIRE

2.5 TRUCK AT GIRON MUSEUM

BRIGADE M-41 TANK, THAT LOST THE GUN ELEVATION, DUE TO MALFUNCTION ON THE FIRST VOLLEY IT FIRED AND WAS RENDERED USELESS

CAPTURED WEAPONS OF THE BRIGADE

FROM THE CARRIER ESSEX

AD-4 FLEW OVER THE BEACH HEAD WITHOUT MARKINGS

THE CELIA BOAT 22 BRIGADE MEMBERS TRYING TO AVOID CAPTURE, CLIMBED ON BOARD A 18 SAILBOAT STATIONED CLOSE TO THE SHORE OF THE BAY OF PIGS THEIR ODDISEY LASTED FOR ALMOST 15 DAYS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, ONE BY ONE DIED OF THIRST AND LACK OF FOOD, THEIR BODIES HAD TO BE BURIED AT SEA

FINALLY THEY WERE PICKED UP BY AN MERCHANT SHIP, THE ATLANTA SEAMAN, VERY CLOSE TO NEW ORLEANS AND TRANSFERRED TO A US COAST GUARD VESSEL
OF THE 22 BRIGADE MEMBERS TRYING TO ESCAPE, TEN LOST THEIR LIVES

PRISONERS OF WAR

SURVIVAL

P O W s

CAPTURED AFTER THE BATTLE

PRISONERS OF WAR

DEFEATED, BUT NEVER SURRENDER, BRIGADE PRISONERS OF WAR MARCHING TO A CENTRAL LOCATION TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE SPORTS ARENA IN HAVANA

THE END, DEFEATED AFTER RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITIONS, BUT NEVER CAPITULATED, NOR SURRENDERED

PRISONERS OF WAR

Rebel Soldiers and militia, celebrating their victory in Giron, not knowing that they were closing for ever the system of liberty and rights existing in Cuba before the Revolution Now a new system was implanted, a communist one, from which some of these happy soldiers had to run away into exile or paid with their lives

It was the tragic price paid for, of their victory in Giron

BRIGADE SOLDIERS AWAITING TRANSPORTATION TO THE SPORTS PALACE FOR QUESTIONING, AFTER SUFFERING HUMILLIATIONS AND THREATS FROM THE CAPTORS

INTER-AMERICANA DE TRANSPORTE SEALED CONTAINER, WHERE 9 BRIGADE MEMBERS DIED OF ASPHYXIA WHILE BEEN TRANSPORTED FROM GIRON TO THE SPORT PALACE IN HAVANA MIKE PADRON, THE OWNER WAS PRISONER IN THIS TRUCK

SPORTS PALACE IN HAVANA, POINT OF REUNION OF ALL THE CAPTURED BRIGADE MEMBERS

INSIDE SPORTS PALACE

CAPTURED BRIGADE MEMBERS

DURING THE TELEVISION INTERVIEWS TRYING TO HUMILLIATE THE BRIGADE MEMBERS

NOT A SINGLE PRISONER BLAMED THE UNITED STATES FOR THE DEFEAT AND MUCH LESS TREASON

THE PRINCIPLE CASTLE AND PRISON

THE MILITARY TRIAL

PATIO CENTRAL DEL CASTILLO DEL PRINCIPE

LOADING PACKAGES FOR THE BRIGADES POWs

Gloria Estefan father

MRS. CLOTILDE RODRIGUEZ, DONATING HER JEWLERY FOR THE RESCUE OF THE PRISONERS OF WAR

BERTA BARRETO WALKING THRU THE HAVANA AIRPORT DURING HER NEGOTIATIONS TO FREE THE BRIGADE PRISONERS

WAR PRISONERS COMMITTEE

POWs COMMITTEE MAKING CONTACTS

ONE OF THE MANY CONFERENCES GIVEN BY THE POWs COMMISSION IN DIFFERENT PLACES OF THE UNITED STATES ASKING FOR HELP

THE RETURN

U.S. RED CROSS

Pedro Ynigo Air Force mechanic returning home

THE WOUNDED IN COMBAT RETURNING HOME

BRIGADE MEMBER KISSING THE LAND OF THE FREE UPON HIS ARRIVAL TO FREDOM, TO THE RIGHT STANDING IN A BLACK SUIT, MAYOR ROBERT KING OF DADE COUNTY

MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

RETURN OF THE WOUNDED

WOUNDED BRIGADE SOLDIERS RETURNING TO MIAMI AFTER TWENTY TWO MONTHS IN CAPTIVITY AND WITHOUT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVING TREATMENT AT MERCY HOSPITAL

WAITING FOR THE SHIP ARENAL

NEGOCIATING COMMISSION DEPARTING FOR CUBA

COMMEMORATIVE MEDALLION

SOLD TO COLLECT FUNDS FOR THE PRISONERS RETURN

RETURN TO HOMESTEAD AFB

DINNER KEY AUDITORIUM

CITY OF MIAMI
RETURNING BRIGADE MEMBERS CELEBRATING THE REUNION WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BRIGADE THAT WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE CUBA AFTER THE DEFEAT

THE ORANGE BOWL

President John Kennedy talking to the more than 20,000 Cuban gathered at the Orange Bowl, to welcome the Brigade back to freedom

PRESIDENT KENNEDY WITH BRIGADE MEMBER MIRANDA, WHO RESCUED THE BRIGADE FLAG AND BROUGHT IT TO MIAMI

NILDO ACEVEDO AND PRESIDENT KENNEDY

FATHER LUGO PRESENTING THE BRIGADE FLAG TO PRESIDENT KENNEDY FOR SAFEKEEPING AND HIS PROMISE TO RETURN IT IN A FREE HAVANA

THE FIRST LADY JACQUELYN KENNEDY ADDRESSING THE BAY OF PIGS VETERANS, AND HOPING THAT HER SON WOULD BE AS BRAVE AS THE BRIGADE SOLDIERS WHEN HE GREW OLDER

Father Lugo, chief chaplain doing the invocation at the Orange Bowl

Jose Perez San Roman, Brigade Commander addressing the troops

CAPTAIN EDUARDO FERRER C46 SQUADRON COMMANDER WITH PRESIDENT KENNEDY

DADE COUNTY MAYOR ROBERT KING HIGH WELOCOMING THE BRIGADE TO MIAMI

Tank Company Commander Rodolfo Diaz Hernandez, Tank Commander Fernando Torres Mena, and civilian leader Manuel Artimes with President Kennedy

RELATIVES OF BRIGADE MEMBERS ARRIVING TO THE U.S. AFTER THE RETURN OF THE BRIGADE MEMBERS

CITIZEN OF THE FREE WORLD

HELP US BUILD OUR NEW MUSEUM IN ORDER TO KEEP ALIVE THE HISTORY, FROM THE RECRUITING, TRAINNING, COMBAT, PRISON TO THE RETURN TO THE LAND OF THE FREE

LETS US HAVE AN ADEQUATED PLACE, SO FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS, GET TO KNOW THE HISTORY AND EFFORTS OF A GROUP OF CUBANS, THAT ABANDONED EVERY EARTHTLY BELONGINGS TO ANSWER THE CALL TO FREEDOM OF THE MOTHERLAND

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT OUR DEFEAT, MARKED THE BEGINNING OF THIS GREAT CITY OF MIAMI, IN WHICH WE LIVE, WORK, RAISED OUR FAMILIES AND THAT IT WAS BUILT WITH THE SWEAT, TEARS AND TENACITY OF A GROUP OF MEN THAT WANT TO RETURN HOME AND BE FREE

MIAMI 2009