xpose it to air attacks the following morning. Two ships sank about 80 yards from shore, and much heavy equipment was lost. By 3 a.m. Monday morning Castro knew about the landing, and the Cuban government responded almost immediately, taking a superior position in the air during the early morning hours. At 12:15 Kennedy received a letter from Khrushchev, in which the Soviet leader stated: It is a secret to no one that the armed bands invading this country were trained, equipped and armed in the United States of America. The planes which are bombing Cuban cities belong to the United States of America; the bombs they are dropping are being supplied by the American Government. As far as the Soviet Union is concerned, there should be no mistake about our position: we will render the Cuban people and their government all necessary help to repel an armed attack on Cuba. In this stifling political environment full of threats and confusion, Secretary of State David Rusk advised Kennedy to back off, concluding that additional strikes would tilt international opinion too far against the U.S. Kennedy consented, and the expected supporting air cover by the U.S. Air Force never came; without supplies or air cover, the invading forces fell. To them, the lack of air cover was a direct betrayal. In the end, 200 rebel soldiers were killed, and 1,197 others were captured. Theres no question that the brigade members were competent, valiant, and committed in their efforts to salvage a rapidly deteriorating situation in a remote area, writes Bissell. Most of them had no previous professional military training, yet they mounted an amphibious landing and conducted air operations in a manner that was a tribute to their bravery and dedication. They did not receive their due. As a result of the U.S. failure at Bay of Pigs and the diplomatic embarrassment that ensued, President Kennedy fired long-time CIA Director Allen W. Dulles, Deputy Director Char...
