You're right about the nature of the folks. Most of those we picked up were voting for freedom with their feet. It was a very tiring but fulfilling operation. We carried boxes of fruit, Spanish Bibles and candy (we bought the candy). It was amazing how many (older people in particular) cried over the Bibles, how many kissed us and blessed us.
Then we would come up on one of the boats loaded down with people released from prison specifically by Castro to take part in the boat lift. These folks were the criminals, not the political prisoners. We would frisk them as we brought them on board and would net an amazing pile of weapons in no time. We kept a close and well armed eye on those groups.
Then there were the times we came upon survivors in the water from where an overloaded boat had capsized; floating in with the dead. One time we came on a boat that had had a fire. Three of them died before we made it back to port; we did what we could for them.
I don't know if I would want to do it again, but I wouldn't have missed it the first time for anything. We all had the chance to rotate out after thirty days; our crew refused to quit until it was over.
My inlaws were alive and living on the West coast of Florida during the 70's/80's....and had the highest regards for their Cuban neighbors who truly appreciated becoming Americans...
We frequently went to the Miami area while my father-in-law was having his boat built at the Bertram Boat works. We would visit Little Havana for the restaurants and bars -- which at that time were the VERY best in the state..
I have no idea of what has become of that area or those folks over the years.
During that period, many of the most skilled craftsmen at the Bertram boat works were Cuban... Bertram was at that time, one of the best premier builders in the country and VERY expensive -- so they could afford the best..
Once we culled out most of the garbage that Castro sent - we got the best end of that deal - in spite of the mess Carter made of the transfer.
Semper Fi