There are Men of Light and Men of ShadowsâŠ
April 1961, Cuba
Several battalions of exiles, trained and supported by the US, land at The Bay of Pigs in a bid to overthrow Fidel Castro and regain governance of Cuba.
America has become increasingly nervous about the development of a Communist state so close to their own country, and their alarm has escalated as the world sees the stockpiling of weapons supplied by the Soviet Union. Something must be done, but discreetly. The world must not know of US involvement.
But soon after the start of the campaign, the United Nations openly disapproves of the US airstrikes on Cuban bases, causing a knee-jerk decision by Kennedy to withdraw American support.
Leaving Brigade 2506 as lambs to the slaughter.
This fictionalized account of The Bay of Pigs Invasion brings depth and humanity to one of the worst betrayals in political history.
There are Men of Light and Men of ShadowsâŠ
April 1961, Cuba
Several battalions of exiles, trained and supported by the US, land at The Bay of Pigs in a bid to overthrow Fidel Castro and regain governance of Cuba.
America has become increasingly nervous about the development of a Communist state so close to their own country, and their alarm has escalated as the world sees the stockpiling of weapons supplied by the Soviet Union. Something must be done, but discreetly. The world must not know of US involvement.
But soon after the start of the campaign, the United Nations openly disapproves of the US airstrikes on Cuban bases, causing a knee-jerk decision by Kennedy to withdraw American support.
Leaving Brigade 2506 as lambs to the slaughter.
This fictionalized account of The Bay of Pigs Invasion brings depth and humanity to one of the worst betrayals in political history.
WASHINGTON, DC, USA
SATURDAY APRIL 8, 1961
9:45 AM
Richard Bissel, Deputy Director of the CIA, looks out of the upstairs window and sees two men exit a car in his driveway. Bissell is a tall, middle-aged, handsome man with a receding hairline. He pushes dark-framed glasses up his nose and watches as they walk toward his front door. What is so urgent, he thinks, that Jake Engler and Colonel Jack Hawkins have come to see me at my house on a Saturday? More trouble, for sure. He goes downstairs to greet the men.
They gather in the study, where they sit around a teak coffee table. Richardâs wife, Ann, pokes her head in and asks if they want coffee; all decline. Richard looks at the men then focuses on Hawkins. Jack Hawkins is a Marine Corps colonel who served bravely in WWII and the Korean War. The CIA recruited him because they needed a marine officer with a background in amphibious warfare. He is heavily involved in Bissellâs ongoing project to land Cuban exile troops in Cuba.
âColonel, why are you here?â Bissell asks.
âRichard, I came here to resign. I can no longer support this project. Jake feels the same.â
Richard stares at Hawkins then looks at Jake. Jake was a veteran CIA agent assigned to the Cuba Task Force early on and had formulated the plans on how to get rid of Castro. He was now the chief of the task force.
âJake, is that true? You want to resign? At this critical moment?â
Jake nods his head. âItâs true. Iâll let Jack explain.â
Richard leans forward in his chair. âOkay, Colonel, please proceed.â
âRichard, we have lost control of this project. The politicians have taken over. It is no longer the military operation that it needs to be. Now, itâs an exercise in political theater. It has been pared down by politicians to the point where it can no longer succeed. It will be a catastrophe for the men on the ground.â
âOkay. Can you be specific, please.â
âOf course. The first mistake by the President and his staff was to change the landing point from Trinidad to the Bay of Pigs. We selected Trinidad for a reason. The Castro resistance there is strong. The people would take our side when we land. Plus, the city is near the Escambray Mountains, a perfect place to retreat to if things donât go as planned.â
Bissell nods. âI agree. It was our choice. But Kennedy said the operation must be covert. US involvement must be hidden. Landing at Trinidad looked to Kennedy like a huge invasion, with ships and planes and soldiers involved. Too grand. So he said to pick another site. We chose the Bay of Pigs.â
Hawkins leans forward and stares at Bissell. âYes. A bay surrounded by the largest swamp in Cuba. If any locals want to join the revolt, it will be physically impossible for them to even get there. And itâs where Castro fishes. He knows the roads like the back of his hand. He will have no qualms attacking us there.â
âRight. What else?â
âOur choice of aircraft. The B-26. They are too slow, and their range is too short. Castroâs T-33s will out-maneuver them, shoot them down. Weâve said from the beginning we need better aircraft.â
Bissell shrugs. âJack, if we execute the plan, bomb their airfields on the first two days, we will catch the T-33s on the ground and destroy them. Thatâs the plan.â
âItâs not a good plan. You think Castro wonât hide the planes after the first day of bombing? If any T-33s survive, they can take out our aircraft. Our ships too. We need the involvement of the US military. Their planes are superior and can finish the job in one day.â
Richard sighs. âJack, please, you know thatâs not going to happen. The US is not going to attack Cuba. Kennedy fears reprisals by the Russians elsewhere in the world, like Berlin. It must appear to be an uprising by the Cuban people, led by Cubans.â
âRichard, letâs be real. Wherever we land this expedition is too big to be kept secret. Six ships, sixteen aircraft, fifteen hundred men. The world will know weâre involved. We should embrace it and donât worry about the worldâs opinion. Just make sure we achieve our objective: remove Castro from power.â
Richard turns to Jake. âYou have anything to add?â
âYes,â Jake says. âCommand and control. Weâre about to invade a country, but itâs unclear who is in charge. We have Americans with the Cubans, but they donât know their roles. Jack here should be on the command ship when it sails into the Bay of Pigs. We need an experienced officer to coordinate the activities with all the groups involved.â
Bissell shakes his head. âSorry, canât happen. The Cuban exiles are in charge. Manuel Artime reports to the Cuban Revolutionary Council in New York and is the civilian âDelegate in the Invading Armyâ. He is the civilian leader, will be on the command boat and will lead them ashore. Pepe San RomĂĄn is the military commander and will go ashore with Manuel. Câmon, you know these guys. Both are men of high quality. They are the leaders of this uprising, not us.â
Jake slowly shakes his head. âItâs not going to work. Richard, with our current slimmed-down plan, all those men will be slaughtered. Thatâs why we are here. We donât want any part of whatâs about to happen. We resign.â
           âYou have that right. But gentlemen, we have to do something.â
Richard goes to the window and looks outside, as he thinks through the problem. Last year, Castro established diplomatic relations with Russia. Then suddenly, there were large deliveries of military equipment to Cuba. Next, Castro proclaimed himself a Communist and seized all American assets. Eisenhower was firm: we cannot have a Communist state ninety miles from Florida. So, he authorized the CIA to recruit Cuban exiles, to train them to infiltrate Cuba, to start a revolution. Overthrow Castro. That is the intended outcome. Then Kennedy was elected, and he inherited these plans. He campaigned against Nixon, said Nixon was soft on Communism, and Kennedy said he would deal with Cuba. So, we thought he would support the plan. But he was skeptical from day one. Kennedy doesnât think much of the CIA. He and his brother. But heâs the President. Commander in Chief. We have to respond to his orders.
Bissell sits down and faces them. âKennedyâs in charge of the country, not us. So, we follow orders. Make the best of it. The plan could succeed, if we get lucky. It has to break our way. We must destroy their planes, and our men must fight hard. We need local Cubans to join our forces to overthrow the government. But gentlemen, only you can make it happen. I implore you not to resign. I need you guys!â
Jake and the colonel look at each other. The colonel sighs. âOkay, I guess weâre in,â he says. âWeâll stay out of respect for you, Richard. We are still disgusted with politicians meddling in a military operation.â
âI understand. Thank you, gentlemen. The invasion begins in a week. So, please, go prepare.â
Jake and the colonel stand and leave the room. Richard sits down at his desk as the front door slams shut. He reaches for a folder with the resumes of the Cuban exile leaders. He pages through them looking at pictures of Manuel Artime, Pepe San RomĂĄn, Erneido Oliva, and Alejandro Del Valle. Fine men, all of them. Is it true, we are setting them up to be slaughtered? Hope not. In four days, I will present the final plan to the President, Secretary of State, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I will stress that Brigade 2506 must be given our full support to succeed. I must convince them, convey the urgency, make sure they agree.
PUERTO CABEZAS, NICARAGUA
ARMY TRAINING CAMP
THURSDAY APRIL 13, 1961
8:00 AM
Three Cuban men in camouflage uniforms walk down a center aisle toward a wooden table at the front. Cuban soldiers in uniform are seated on folding chairs on either side of the aisle. The three men reach the front row and sit. In front of their table is a blackboard, with a large paper map of Cuba taped to it. A CIA briefer named Frank, a pudgy middle-aged man with sandy hair, stands next to the blackboard, a pointer in hand. A group of stern-looking Americans stand off to the side, some in uniforms, some in civilian clothes.
Frank clears his throat and addresses the three men. âGood morning,â he says. âWelcome to Base Trampoline. In two days, we will begin the attack to liberate your country from the tyranny of Communism!â
Some of the seated Cuban soldiers stand and cheer.
Frank continues, âYou have completed your training at Base Trax in Guatemala. You were flown here this week because Trampoline will be the springboard for the attack. Your brigadeâs navy ships and air force planes are ready and will leave from here.â
Frank looks at the standing Americans. âWe have visitors today from Washington, the planners and briefers for the Cuban Task Force. Colonel Jack Hawkins is in charge of the group and will supervise the detailed ground and maritime briefings, starting today.â
Colonel Hawkins waves and nods his head. Frank looks at the three Cubans sitting in front of him. âFor our American guests here today, I will introduce the leaders of Brigade 2506. Manuel, please stand.â
Manuel Artime, a tall, thin handsome man with a high forehead stands and faces the group of Americans.
Frank gestures toward Manuel. âManuel Artime was in the rebel army of Fidel Castro and fought against the Batista regime. After Fidel took over, Manuel turned against him and left. The Cuban Revolutionary Council in the US appointed Manuel as its âDelegate in the Invading Armyâ. So, Manuel is not here as a soldier. He will accompany the fighters into Cuba, a civilian representing what will soon be the new provisional government of Cuba.â
Manuel smiles shyly, gives a thumbs up and sits down.
âPepe, please stand.â
Pepe San RomĂĄn stands and faces the Americans. He is a light-skinned muscular young man, with jet-black, combed-back hair.
âPepe San RomĂĄn was an officer in Batistaâs army and later in Fidelâs army. He was arrested and imprisoned by Fidelâs security forces. At our Trax Base in Guatemala, Pepe was in charge of weapons and demolition training. Several months ago, he was appointed Brigade 2506 commander. Please welcome Pepe.â
Pepe nods at the Americans and sits.
âNext, I would like to introduce Erneido Oliva.â
The short, dark-skinned man stands. Oliva has a receding hairline and a neatly trimmed mustache. âErneido is the deputy commander of Brigade 2506. He is a distinguished soldier and was one of a group of Cuban officers who plotted against Castro. He left Cuba in August 1960 and flew to Miami where we recruited him. We are pleased to have Erneido on our team.â
Oliva sits. Frank steps closer to the blackboard. âLetâs go over the plan. In two days, on April 15, eight of our B-26 bombers will leave here and attack three Cuban military airfields. Each plane will be armed with bombs, rockets, and machine guns. The planes will destroy most or all of Castroâs armed aircraft before the main invasion. We will take U-2 photos, assess the damage then a second bombing run the next day will take out any planes that remain. Manuel Villafana is the commander of the Brigade Air Force, and he and his pilots have trained here for the mission. I see him sitting at the back. Manuel, please stand.â
Manuel Villafana, short, boyish-looking and wearing a brown aviator jacket, stands and waves at the Americans.
Frank continues. âOn D-Day, the early morning of April 17, two landing craft LCIs, The Blagar and The Barbara J, will enter the Bay of Pigs. Each will carry a CIA operations officer and an underwater demolition team of five frogmen. On The Blagar will be Grayston Lynch, and on The Barbara J will be Rip Robertson. I see those two gentlemen standing at the back.â
Heads turn toward the rear. Two muscular Americans in camouflage uniforms, wearing dark sunglasses, nod but say nothing.        Â
âThey will lead a force of four transport ships, The Houston, RĂo Escondido, Caribe, and AtlĂĄntico. These ships will carry the fourteen hundred ground troops of Brigade 2506, plus the brigadeâs M-41 tanks and other vehicles. The landing will take place in the Bay of Pigs, on the south coast of Cuba. Let me draw your attention to this map.â
Frank turns to the map and uses his pointer. âThe bay is in western Cuba, southeast of Havana. It is an inlet of water surrounded by the Zapata Swamp. At the northern tip of the bay is Playa Larga, one of our landing points, which we call Red Beach. A road leads north out of Playa Larga, first to the town of Palpite then to Central Australia, where there is a sugar mill. Oliva will land at Playa Largo, Red Beach, with the Second and Fifth Battalions of infantry.â
Frank points to another city on the coast. âTo the southeast, twenty miles down the coast, is Giron, our second landing point. Giron we call Blue Beach. There is an air strip there, which we will capture and use. Pepe San RomĂĄn will land at Giron, Blue Beach, with the Sixth Battalion of infantry, the Fourth Armored Battalion, and the Heavy Gun Battalion.â
âThe road north out of Giron goes through the swamp, first to San Blas then to Covadonga. On D-Day, our paratroopers will land and capture these towns. Alejandro Del Valle, their commander, will establish his HQ at San Blas. Alejandro, please stand.â
Alejandro del Valle, a handsome, blond, athletic young man stands, gives a jaunty wave, then sits down.
Frank runs his pointer in a circle across the map. âSo, the brigadeâs initial holdings will extend across the bay and inland for more than twenty miles. Sound good?â
The Cuban soldiers in chairs clap loudly. Someone yells, âSounds great!â
âYou are to hold the beach for seventy-two hours before you are reinforced. There is no question we will have air superiority once Castroâs planes are destroyed. Everyone clear?â
There is a murmur in the crowd as some soldiers nod in agreement.
âRemember, the United States is not at war with Cuba, so the US military will not be directly involved in the fighting. We will support your efforts, but the invasion force is Cuban, acting under the orders of your political leadership, Miro Cardona, and the Cuban Revolutionary Council. Any questions? No? Then please go to your areas and prepare.â
I've never come across a fictional telling of The Bay of Pigs Invasion, though, I have read a number of accounts in various nonfiction books. This is an intriguing era of history to explore and I applaud the author for making the venture.
Men of Light focuses on the men of Brigade 2506 in Cuba as tensions escalate between the United States, the Soviet Union, and Fidel Castro. The men (Manuel Francisco Artime Buesa, José Alfredo Pérez San Romån, Ramón J. Ferrer Mena, and Erneido Andrés Oliva Gonzålez, to name a few) are counting on the aid of the United States, but a last minute decision made by the White House leave the brigade stranded and, essentially, left for dead.
Reading this, I came to realize just how abbreviated my past reading on this subject has been. Or rather, how much I've forgotten over the years. This book was an interesting way to be reintroduced to the topic and offered a perspective I've not read before â the perspective of the people hurt most by the fiasco. It was also interesting to see both Fidel Castro and John F. Kennedy represented at length. For some reason, I'd only expected to see them mentioned in passing.
I would have loved for the book to be longer. There were a lot of names to keep track of and I struggled to differentiate who was who even by the time I'd reached the end. These 100+ pages only scratch the surface. While there was near constant action, it came at the expense of character development. I still enjoyed it and it will inspire further reading, but I would have enjoyed it even more at a slower pace. Because of this, I would also recommend that readers have a baseline of knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis to enjoy this book to the fullest.
Above everything else, this book gives a voice and tribute to the Bay of Pigs victims. Once more, I applaud the author for being the one to take on this homage.