'WE WERE BETRAYED' A VETERAN OF THE CUBAN INVASION SPEAKS OUT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600230014-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 26, 1999
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: January 14, 1963
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

t : l UAN 1 41963,
Sanitized - Approved For Re1eakQN'4bRDP
U. b. News & World Report
A Veteran of the Cuban Invasion Speaks
How do Cubans who fought at the Bay of Pigs
feel about the U. S. role in that fiasco?
This is the story of one Cuban invader, told in
his own words.
Manuel Penabaz tells of assurances made by
representatives of the U. S. Government that the
invasion against Castro would have U. S. support.
Then, he relates, lust when-"the invaders n'
help most-and might hen won-theyweri Id:
"We cannot give you any further suppel .~;
Many veterans of the Invasion; just ed
from Castro prisons, say; they hold no for
against the United States. But Pena
btizoy3'
"We did not fall. We were betrayed." ,r
CPYRGHT
by Manuel Penabaz
seep a vancmg. Keep advancing-and s
c air.
So long as I live, I shall never forget those words. They
sounded out from an American ship, from the officer who
directed our landing operations at the Bay of Pigs on the
coast of Cuba, where 1,500 of irs Cubans offered our lives in
the hope of liberating our beloved coruatrv from the rule of
the bearded despot, Fidel Castro, on April 17, 1961.
"Keep advancing and firing! Take the area ahead-and
waitl"
To us who had struggled ashore from our landing barges,
the words "and wait" meant only one thing: "Help is on the
way.
When we were recruited for this perilous mission, and
during our exhaustive training in Guatemala-even while on
the slow, ancient freighters that brought us from our em-
barkation port in Nicaragua-we were promised the support
of the armed forces of the United States.
"Over you will be air cover," we were told, "and back of
you the Navy and land forces of the United States and other
free nations of the Americas. You cannot fail."
We did not fail. We were betrayed.
After three days of fighting, we heard again that same
American voice that had exhorted us to "keep advancing--
and wfi, , it." Only this time it said:
"We cannot give you any further support."
The whole invasion operation that had been planned and
directed by agencies of the U. S. Government had been
abandoned by that Government at the moment when vic-
tory could have overthrown Fidel Castro.
Of the 1,500 who began the assault at the Bay of Pigs on
that warm April morning, about 100 were killed; 60 later
died of wounds, starvation, torture and executions; most of
the others were captured.
I was among the lucky. I escaped. Four of my comrades
and I found a raft and, after five days afloat, were rescued.
Now my surviving comrades of that invasion also have
been freed-ransomed from Castro's prison cells. Many of
them have told me since their arrival in Miami that their
lips are scaled because they have relatives still in Cuba, 1,
too, have relatives in Cuba. But my lips are not sealed. I
will tell the story of what happened at the Bay of Pigs, be-
cause I believe that such a mistake must not be'maddagain
by any government or people of the free world,
For me, the story of the invasion began in Miami,,Fla.,
when I heard the words: "Recruits are needed-=revs to
overthrow Castro."
The Central Intelligence Agency of the U.;S rirn-
meat, headed by Allen Dulles, was the nriw~und
training group for our volunteers.: : sx
Several officers of the Cen Intelligenc A ere
operating in the Miami Brea, gout the leaders ong
the Cuban exiles and encouraging` them to select theI ilpdiest
an invasion of Cuba "fairly n 1li01
17
The first airlifts' of volunteers to training'`einpd in
late summer, 1980. Any recruits "who doubted' .t he
United States was back 'of the operation were a' t
can officers in charge andthere`.would be the'
Sure enough, when` we arrived at Trax Base, high the'
mountains of Guatemala, American officers were in charge-
of the camp, and our weapons were among the best the U. S.
had to offer.
At Retalhuleu, Guatemala, a splendid airstrip had been .
laid down by American engineers. All about were; ;huge
accumulations of war material-aircraft, mortarrs,... ons of
bombs and other ammunition.,
Over the whole operation, there was an air of 'great .
secrecy. Our instructors, American officers, wore only fatigue
uniforms, with no markings. We knew them only .by first names. But it was apparent that they were experienced and
efficient. '
It did not take us long to learn that "Frank," the ' man
who gave the orders for both Americans and Cubans, was a
colonel. The American subordinate officers were all experts
in their fields. "Ray" was our rifle and pistol Instructor. It
leaked out that he was from California and a pistol cham-
pion. "Sam," chief trainer of the parachutists, was plalgly a
veteran of many combat jumps. "Nick, from New M4ico,
was our instructor for intelligence npratinns_ .,.,
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