In Cuban Miami stands a greatly cherished monument dedicated to the botched Bay of Pigs Invasion that took place close to 50 years ago. The Monument of Martyrs is structured out of marble and burns a torch brightly at the top to remember all the brave fallen fighters of Brigade 2506.

This particular event in history deserves more than a small monument placed in the streets of Miami. The brave Cuban exiles that gave their lives fighting for the overthrow of Fidel Castro’s administration deserve to have their story remembered through the generations.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion is remembered now days as one of John F. Kennedy’s biggest mistakes in his presidency.

The failed attempt was funded by the U.S., the exiles were trained by the U.S., and the plan of attack was drawn up by the U.S. With so much involvement on the part of the nation, it is baffling as to why nobody in that administration wants to take partial blame for what happened.

It was the American CIA, under approval from Dwight D. Eisenhower that trained and prepared the Brigade 2506 soldiers. The plan of attack once touchdown was made in Cuba was also the responsibility of the U.S.

The initial plan drawn up called for a landing location in Trinidad. This location would allow the Cuban exiles a strong hold to fight on and also a quick escape route into the mountains should their efforts fail. The plan was said to be with little flaw and should be acted on immediately.

As the time drew closer for the invasion, President Kennedy began to make small last minute changes. The new drop off point would be almost 200 km south of the initial plan for starters. He felt that this would allow the troops to stay away from the fighting that was already going on in the mountain regions and also allow for “plausible denial” of involvement if something were to go wrong. The invasion itself was a complete disaster with thousands of people being killed and even more group executions taken place afterwards. The Kennedy Administration gave so much support to these brave soldiers as they were being trained on U.S. soil, but then pulled out all military support as the loss of the invasion became apparent.

After Kennedy’s assassination all of the true details of the failed mission came to light and the relationship between Cuba and America became strained. Although the Bay of Pigs invasion did not go well, it was this event that fueled the Cuban exiles to rise up against Fidel Castro and take back what was theirs.