Apr 2

Covert Rescues at the Bay of Pigs

Tuesday, April 2, 2019 12:01 AM

By

William T. Smoot

Midshipman William T. Smoot

 

William T. Smoot, an officer on board the escort destroyer USS Eaton (DDE-510), watched firsthand the covert support provided to the Cuban rebels during the abortive attempt to invade Fidel Castro’s Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961. He saw the landing craft and the invasion site, and listened to voice radio transmissions. On one occasion, Smoot’s destroyer came under fire while in the Bay of Pigs. In this excerpt, Smoot describes being sent ashore to in a motor whaleboat to rescue rebels in the middle of the night.

 

USS Eaton (DDE-510) underway in the Atlantic.

USS Eaton (DDE-510) under way in the Atlantic.

 

To read more about the Naval Institute Oral History Program, go to https://www.usni.org/heritage/oral-history-catalog.

 

 

Posted by Taira Sulivan in Cold War, History, Oral History, Personal Account

About Taira Sulivan

Taira Sullivan is the Project Manager, Digital Assets & Web for the United States Naval Institute. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science, specializing in Archives and Digital Curation, from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor’s in History from Washington College. Prior to working for the Naval Institute, Taira held intern and fellowship positions at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, CV Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, Maryland State Archives, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and National Agricultural Library.
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