Recently, President Donald Trump stated that America would possibly arm the Ukrainians with Tomahawk missiles. Even after repeated warnings against these weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin, these weapons could change the scope of the war against the Russians. These missiles could demonstrate to an already challenged Russian military effort that interior military and infrastructure targets will be hit.
There are recent estimates of 5,000-7,000 deaths of Russian soldiers being killed every week and Trump has completely changed his tone through enhanced aid to Ukraine. Although it took time for superior American tanks, fighter planes, and weapons systems to finally reach Ukraine, they were utilized to defend against the Russian military. As Trump is furious over the refusal of Putin to discuss a lasting peace, his tone has drastically changed to oppose the Russians.
About two weeks ago, it was my opportunity to write a story on the American and British response to the Soviet closure of transportation lines into Berlin. While these actions were carried out by Premier Joseph Stalin in the earliest parts of the Cold War, the tensions were long lasting. There is some anxiety today that the Russia-Ukraine War will escalate like the many examples that occurred during the Cold War like that of the failed Bay of Pigs invasion.
During the second half of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's term, the leftist rebel Fidel Castro defiantly opposed the Cuban government. While the United States had major investments within the agriculture, industry, gambling, and hotel sectors, most of the Cuban people lived below the poverty line. They viewed President Fulgencio Batista as a corrupt leader, who was seen as an American puppet. Operating deep in the Sierra Maestra Mountains, Castro fought Batista’s forces and made significant military gains against his government.
On January 1st, 1959, Castro finally defeated Batista and ruled Cuba within the shadows of the United States until 2008. Quickly, Castro minimized all ties with the United States, nationalized western property, and established strong relations to the Soviet Union. Cuba began purchasing its oil from the Soviet Union and when American owned refineries refused to produce this resource, Castro seized these fuel centers. This island nation was like the presence of western powers in Berlin to contest the Soviet sphere of influence. Premier Nikita Khrushchev wanted to take advantage of this difficult situation for the United States and quickly sent military and economic aid to bolster Castro. Americans worried about the motives of Castro, near the dangerous moment of when air force pilot Francis Gary Powers U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union on May 1st, 1960. Right before Eisenhower left the presidency, he ended all relations with Cuba.
Castro confiscated the rest of western property and expanded his influence by sending agents to Central and South American nations to infiltrate their governments with communism. Before leaving office, Congress retaliated by giving Eisenhower the authority to use force against Castro, cut off the sugar cane trade to America, and placed a trade embargo on Cuba. By March 1960, Eisenhower ordered the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to plan an operation to overthrow Castro and establish a friendly government. As Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy campaigned against Vice President Richard M. Nixon, counter revolutionary exiles were recruited and trained to oppose the communists. Kennedy loudly criticized Eisenhower’s leadership as weakening the American ability to deter the Soviets. After he was elected to the presidency, Kennedy was quickly briefed on this operation that was established by Eisenhower.
Under both Eisenhower and Kennedy, over a thousand Cuban exiles/refugees, many from Miami, were trained off the coast of Florida and Guatemala. Kennedy quickly approved this mission and believed that it was America’s interest to depose Castro, regain global credibility against the Soviet Union. Led by the Special Forces and the Central Intelligence Agency, Cuban troops were taught weapons training, infantry tactics, land navigation, guerilla operations, paratrooping skills, and were intent on destroying the enemy air force.
There were thirty-nine recruits who were former pilots in the Brigade 2506 that was created from Cuban exiles. They had a $13 million budget, where many of these fighters descended from Castro’s opposition to the Frente Revolucionario Democratico (FRD). An alarming problem was split loyalties of the Cubans as some of Castro’s agents infiltrated the training, planning, and learned of the invasion date and location. The large Cuban population in Florida posed a serious problem towards this invasion, as they openly spoke about this military plan, and some Cuban American newspapers reported on the likelihood of this assault.
Both the American and Cuban exiles realized they had to use Cuban pilots to fly aircraft to destroy Castro’s fighter planes on the ground. These freedom fighters planned on deceiving Castro’s forces by communicating that they were disgruntled pilots who were recently opposed to communist rule, where they would assault enemy planes on the ground, and defect to the United States. The pilots from Brigade 2506 were expected to carry out this main attack on three different airfields. As the exiles were given training and arms, it was a dangerous plan that counted on the support of the Cuban population. There were many risks to a plan that was far from certain to succeed under an untested presidential administration.
Two days after the aerial attacks, the landings would penetrate inward, attack surrounding enemy forces, establish a bridgehead, and install a new government. Much of this planning was carried out by the experienced intelligence leadership of Allen Dulles who ended up creating a historically flawed operation. It was expected that a former member of Castro’s government Jose Miro Cadona would lead the Cuban Revolutionary Council’s new government. Guided by American support, over one thousand exiles were directed to land on the southern coast of Cuba, within the swampy areas of the Bay of Pigs. They were going to hit the beaches at night and in an area that was estimated to contain few communist forces. But if the Cubans quickly mobilized, the exiles were completely exposed, as they were over eighty miles away from escaping into Escambray Mountains.
On April 15th, 1961, the air operations began with eight World War II B-26 bombers that left Nicaraguan bases and were painted to look like Cuban aircraft. This was a pivotal part of this campaign to destroy Castro, but these bombers missed most of the targets that were expected to help the landings. Right away, this story publicly broke with pictures of these older American bombers, and it proved that the Kennedy Administration was behind this covert plan. As the exiles were preparing to land, Kennedy canceled a second bombing run.
Immediately, this flawed operation had no chance of success and was quickly doomed as Castro used his army and air strength to defeat these beleaguered forces. There was virtually no air cover for the exiles, vital supply ships were sunk, and poor weather prevented reinforcements from hitting the beaches. With a lack of ammunition and supplies, the exiles were stranded, and Kennedy ordered a last-ditch air operation from Nicaragua that arrived too late, and it failed to save these soldiers from being captured or killed by Castro.
For this young president, the “Bay of Pigs” was a complete fiasco that openly questioned his judgement to make complex military decisions against the communists. Castro strengthened his grip over Cuba, captured four hundred prisoners, and embarrassed the United States on the global stage. Ninety miles from Cuba was the strongest military power and economy in the world that was humbled by a new leader and a weaker army. The youthful Kennedy looked vulnerable and stated, “Meanwhile we will not accept Mr. Castro’s attempts to blame this nation for the hatred with which his onetime supporters now regard his repression. But there are from this sobering episode useful lessons for all to learn. Some may be still obscure and await further information. Some are clear today.”
About five days later, Eisenhower met Kennedy at Camp David to discuss the failures of this humiliating operation that weakened this new leader. While both men were smiling, Eisenhower was asked by Kennedy to evaluate the problems that plagued this failure to depose Castro. He quietly listened to Kennedy, his description of the plans, and fears over the spread of communism within the Western Hemisphere. Eisenhower wrote diary entries of this meeting and through one of his excerpts, he observed, “....It appears that too much specialized equipment was carried in a single ship and, when this ship was damaged, the troops on the beach were left fairly helpless. I inquired whether or not the troops had had the equipment immediately with them (in platoons and companies) to establish effective road blocks on the three avenues of entry into the swamp area. He was under the impression that this equipment was properly distributed, and the troops well trained in its use. Therefore, the reason for the quick penetration of the swamp into the vulnerable beachhead was unknown.”
In retirement, Eisenhower often presented important military and foreign policy advice to the next several Presidents, and this valuable information began with Kennedy. There is the iconic picture of Eisenhower with his head down speaking to Kennedy, as it showed the teacher addressing the pupil. He tried to prepare this new President that the communists did not respect weakness, and Kennedy could expect a challenge from Moscow. Like the fears of the escalated fighting outside of Ukraine reaching America and the NATO nations, the tensions from the moments of the Bay of Pigs between East and West are lessons that are relatable to today. Whereas Trump always believed that he could handle Putin, he should look at the previous foreign policy and military issues of the Bay of Pigs invasion and its escalation into the Cuban Missile Crisis.