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"Hell, Mr. President, we are involved."
That was Admiral Burke's desperate plea to John F. Kennedy as the Bay of Pigs operation was underway. In the days before the April 17th invasion, the CIA's cover story begins to unravel and Castro is aware the invasion is coming. Kennedy, determined to avoid overt US intervention, draws a red line, declaring there will be "no intervention in Cuba by the United States Armed Forces".
Join Gordon and David as they detail the critical turning point that doomed the operation. Despite air superiority being absolutely critical to success, Kennedy cancels the essential second round of pre-invasion airstrikes. This single decision means the men of Brigade 2506 must land without controlling the air, turning their ships into sitting ducks for Castro's planes.
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Order a signed edition of David's latest book, The Seventh Floor, via this link.
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Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @triclassified
Video Editor: Nathan Copelin
Social Producer: Emma Jackson
Producer: Becki Hills
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Exec Producer: Tony Pastor
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