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Posted on 09/22/2004 8:05:30 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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REVOLUCION  Fidel Castro More than 500 people were tried and executed in Cuba, after appearing before the revolutionary judges. Thousands fled to exile in the United States. But to most Cubans, Castro was a hero. NATIONALIZATION Castro's new government nationalized millions of acres of Cuban land previously held by American companies and distributed it to the people. Castro flew to New York to speak at the United Nations. U.S. President Eisenhower would not meet with him. But Soviet leader Khrushchev was delighted to embrace a new revolutionary and offered Cuba economic assistance.  Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev Cuba decided to purchase oil from the U.S.S.R., but U.S. companies refused to refine it. Castro then nationalized the U.S.-owned refineries and other industries in Cuba. Washington retaliated with a complete trade embargo against Cuba. It also launched the first of several CIA campaigns to topple Castro's regime. BAY OF PIGS A plan to overthrow Castro was presented to the new U.S. president, John F. Kennedy, soon after his inauguration in 1961. CIA agents had been secretly training Cuban exiles to invade their homeland. They thought the Cuban people would welcome such an invasion and rise up to overthrow Castro. Kennedy agreed to the invasion plan -- but demanded crucial changes to hide U.S. involvement.  Castro, lower right, watches from a tank near Playa Giron during the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 On April 15, 1961, six U.S. bombers disguised as Cuban aircraft took off from Nicaragua and attacked Cuban airfields -- but caused only minimal damage. The next day, a CIA-trained force of 1,500 guerrillas arrived at the Bay of Pigs, 125 miles south of Havana. But their plans soon turned into disaster.  Kennedy, now faced with international condemnation for the bombing, canceled additional air support for the invasion. Castro's remaining air force quickly destroyed ships carrying vital ammunition supplies for the invaders. Without American air support or supply, the invasion force was quickly outnumbered and outmaneuvered. All of the invaders were captured or dead within 72 hours. MISSILE CRISIS The failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion did not keep the United States from plotting new plans to get rid of Castro -- even assassination was carefully weighed. Cuba, meanwhile, looked to Moscow for military support. Nikita Khrushchev offered to deploy Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. After initial resistance, Castro accepted. By July 1962, the CIA had noticed an increase in Soviet ships heading for Cuba. By mid-October, U-2 spy planes flying over Cuba brought back pictures of ballistic missile sites.  Range of Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missiles and SS-5 intermediate-range ballistic missiles, if launched from Cuba. With nuclear warheads less than 100 miles from the United States, the Soviets had the ability to strike without warning. Kennedy formed a special inner cabinet of advisers -- the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or ExCom -- to weigh the options. Under consideration: a military invasion to topple Castro and "surgical air strikes" against the missiles bases. But taking either step without warning risked turning world opinion against the United States. Another solution was devised: The U.S. Navy would stop and search all ships heading for Cuba. Washington called it a "quarantine." AT THE BRINK On October 22, President Kennedy told the world about the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba and announced that a blockade was in force against all ships bound for Cuba. Kennedy demanded the removal of the missiles from Cuba. For several days the world held its breath as the United States and Soviet Union appeared to be moving toward nuclear war. Washington took its case to the United Nations and prepared for air strikes and a massive invasion of Cuba.  October 26, 1962: The U.S. destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy stops, boards and inspects the Marucla, a dry-cargo ship of Lebanese registry under Soviet charter to Cuba. Havana announced a "combat alarm" -- more than a quarter-million Cubans stood ready to repel a U.S. invasion. Soviet forces on the island were equipped with nuclear-tipped tactical missiles, ready to answer any invader. In the United States, a wave of panic buying swept across the country as people tried to prepare for a possible nuclear holocaust. And though Soviet leaders tried to keep the crisis from their people, the news was leaking out, raising fears. A WAY OUT On October 26, with tensions increasing, Kennedy received an offer from Khrushchev. The Soviet leader offered to withdraw his missiles from Cuba -- if the United States promised never to invade the island. The next morning, Khrushchev added another condition: the United States was to remove all its missiles from Turkey.  As Kennedy considered the options, the crisis escalated again -- when a Soviet-led Cuban missile battery shot down a U-2 spy plane. The Pentagon was prepared to bomb the missile site, as contingency plans required -- but Kennedy ordered that no action be taken. He wanted time to deal with Khrushchev. The president sent his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, to meet with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin. They struck a deal: Soviet missiles would be removed from Cuba in return for the unpublicized removal of missiles from Turkey. On Sunday October 28, Khrushchev announced the withdrawal of the Soviet missiles from Cuba. Under close American surveillance, Soviet ships took the missiles back home. The crisis was over, but both sides were well aware how close they had come to nuclear annihilation.
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Good evening Mayor.
Hi alfa6.
Wow. Neat "Navy family" flag-o-gram. They're great.
Good evening manna.
LOL.
Love to see that flag waving anytime of day.
Good evening sw and duckie.
Wow. Neat history and neat pictures. Thanks aomagrat.
Evening Mayor.
Evening alfa6.
So far it looks like we'll get out of here before the next bad weather hits.
Evening PE.
Good to see some of America's best. :-)
Evening Samwise.
Evening feather. :-)
Evening Iris7.
I have a good book on the Bay of Pigs in my library. Don't recall the name right now, but it lays the blame squarely on Kennedy's shoulders.
Evening Colonel.
One more day. Today we covered the techy stuff so I was having fun. :-)
Good comment. :-)
Whassup, snippy?
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