Desi Arnaz Secretly Funded Anti-Castro Groups

Newsmax ^ | Sunday, May. 09, 2004

[nickcarraway]

Desi Arnaz of "I Love Lucy" fame and fortune helped finance the freedom of hundreds of Bay of Pigs fighters captured in 1961 by Cuban government forces, veterans say.

A belated thank you to the late entertainer has now happened, 18 years after he died.

This past Friday, according to a Miami Herald report, surviving vets of the Bay of Pigs invasion presented a posthumous award to daughter Lucie Arnaz for his "moral support and generosity."

That generosity was legend among Bay of Pigs veterans.

"He always supported the Cuban cause," said Felix Rodriguez Mendigutia, president of Bay of Pigs Veterans Association. "Anything against Fidel Castro, he supported."

In accepting the award, Lucie Arnaz said her father would have felt honored. She revealed that even she was unaware that her famous father had given money to the cause of the imprisoned invaders, but said it would be consistent with his character and his sympathies.

"Knowing my dad and my grandfather, I'm sure they were emotionally very involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion. I'm sure my father would be very proud to be acknowledged," Arnaz added.

Surrounded by admirers of her father at the Miami event, Arnaz said, "I feel like I have a lot of friends and family here. We're all probably related." Desi Arnaz was a native-born Cuban.

Nilo Messer, vice president of the association and one of the invaders who were imprisoned, said, "We would always get news from the common prisoners and the employees. Someone told me that Desi Arnaz was helping with the efforts to get us out. He was one of the people pushing for a commission to negotiate our release."

The veterans say Arnaz donated $50,000 — an amount worth about $300,000 today. Reportedly, Arnaz gave the money to a commission headed by Eleanor Roosevelt that arranged to send $53 million worth of food, medicine and farm equipment to Cuba in exchange for the prisoners' release.

Arnaz also provided seed money for several exile organizations, said the Herald report. Arnaz also is said to have provided the contact that led to liberated prisoners appearing on the Ed Sullivan show.

"He cooperated a lot," Rodriguez said. "And he never sought any publicity for helping us or anyone else. Now that he's gone, we want to honor his memory."

[RippleFire]

bump

[billorites]

chu knew?

[nickcarraway]

"When I came to this country we didn't have a cent in our pockets. From cleanin' cananry cages to this night here in New York, I would like to say Thank you America, Thank you."~Desi Arnaz

[babaloo999]

I always liked Desi, as you may guess from my screen name. LOL

[EllaMinnow]

I'm not a bit surprised, but still very pleased.

[jocon307]

I always liked him too. Of course part of that was that he was so handsome and charming!

Big bump on this story!

[LandOfLincolnGOP]

How can I resist sharing my favorite Desi rhyme (from Straw Hat Song):

"And when the landlord tells you, your rent's in arrears,
Just pull a big straw hat down over your ears"

I always like the singing Desi better than the acting Desi...

[TheSpottedOwl]

Cool :-) What really surprises me is that Eleanor Roosevelt did something good.

[mizzmouse]

No big secret, Just very old info that has resurfaced...I say good job to him, for doing what he believed in :)

[Polybius]

Here is what 207 Bay of Pigs POW's did after their release:

List with Photo Links of the 207 Bay of Pigs Veterans Commissioned in the U.S. Armed Forces in 1963

[nickcarraway]

ping

[Oztrich Boy]

Arnez was opposed to Castro. That could explain why his communist wife divorced him.

[steplock]

What would Desi have done if he found out that Jimmy Carter was responsible for the DEATHS of Cuban Expatriates? ole jimmy boy gave castro (his love) ALL the information the USA had on the Free Cuba groups.

Better communism than that dreaded free Republic called the U.S.A.

[Anti-Bush Hater]

Those are War Heroes. Kerry isn't man enough to look them in the eye for a second.

[mc5cents]

I always like the singing Desi better than the acting Desi...

The show was called "I Love Lucy" but I always loved Ricky!!

BTW the Arnez', Desi's mom and dad, were neighbors of my grandma & granddaddy in Coral Gables for a time. Never met them, but they lived down the street.

[hosepipe]

[ The veterans say Arnaz donated $50,000 — an amount worth about $300,000 today. Reportedly, Arnaz gave the money to a commission headed by Eleanor Roosevelt that arranged to send $53 million worth of food, medicine and farm equipment to Cuba in exchange for the prisoners' release. ]

Poor guy.. Eleanor Roosevelt was a commie shill at least and probably was not a dupe. No doubt that 50 grand aided Desi's enemies in some way. At least the money Eleanor got.

[nickcarraway]

She was not a communist. In all fairness, the dissolution of the marriage was not her fault.

[fhayek]

IIRC, ol' Desi had a real eye for the ladies.

[nickcarraway]

To say the least.