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THE FACT THAT PROVIDED US WITH UNIVERSAL STATURE.

"The deed of Girón" has been the most studied and widespread historical event in the Cienaga de Zapata. It transcended beyond the forests and homeland, to become a symbol of victory, courage, patriotism and optimism of the peoples of the world. When they mention the word Girón at any latitude, it is bitter, contrary and reminds the arrogant Yankee imperialists. It also highlights how vital unity, identity, history and possessing honest leaders committed to their homeland are to a people, which in this case was decisive in the combative morale of the militia army that in 64 hours dealt the first great defeat of Yankee imperialism in the western hemisphere.

The legendary image of the Victory Tank with the Commander-in-Chief on it - as a Mambí rider - has traveled the world; for this reason the shield of the great wetland perpetuated the sacred image, bearing it on the upper part with the rising sun that illuminates the green foliage and preserves the glorious beam of January 1, 1959.

                Shield of the Great Wetland

The grandparents from Cenaguer remember how ... "at 2:30 am on April 17, 1961, a mercenary brigade made up of 1,428 men began to land on the coast of our beloved swamp, from Puerto Cabezas (Nicaragua), recruited armed, directed and paid by the imperialist government of the United States of North America They formed that "famous phalanx": landowners, lieutenants, war criminals, ex-military, merchants, industrialists, fugitives from revolutionary justice, traitors and lumpen proletarians.

They came on five artillery merchant ships named Houston, Atlantic, Rio Escondido, Caribbean, and Lake Charles; They also had two LCI war units of those used by the modified US Navy called Blagar and Barbara J; three LCU barges for transporting and disembarking heavy equipment; four LCVP barges for transport and transfer of personnel.

The mercenary brigade consisted of 5 battalions of 165 to 171 men each, a heavy weapons battalion (mortars, bazookas, anti-tank guns), a tank company, a paratrooper battalion, an underwater demolition group; aviation consisting of 16 B-26 aircraft, eight C-46 aircraft and six C - 54 aircraft.

The brigade's address was as follows:

    Brigade leader ................... José Alfredo Pérez San Román (former captain of the army of Fulgencio Batista's tyranny).

    Head of the Political and Civil Power ....... Manuel Artime Buesa (traitor of the rebel army).

    Second in command .............. Erneido Andrés Oliva González (former Batista army officer)

And a Headquarters Company.

The mercenary invasion plan aimed to make landings at three points in the Zapata swamp: Playa Larga (red), Playa Girón (blue) and Caleta Buena (Playa Verde). With the mission of closing access to the area of ​​operations, which they intended to completely isolate with the intention of fortifying themselves (creating a beachhead), locating a Provisional Government, initiating and developing a war of attrition and ensuring the conditions to open a large-scale civil war that would facilitate direct intervention by the imperialist government of the United States

With the weapons brought in, not only could a Beachhead be established, but a Continent!

What the 2506 mercenary brigade did not have was combative morale, proof of this is that not a single mercenary leader fell in combat and the casualties were not greater than 10% of the members.

The patriotism demonstrated by the Cuban People in the Cienaga de Zapata in the face of vile aggression, offered 156 young heroes who with their blood avoided the mourning of the entire Homeland. Referring to this aspect of the deed, our maximum leader - who, in contrast to the mercenary leaders, remained in front of his valiant militiamen until he achieved glorious victory - he stated:

"... The infinite gratitude of the country for those who fell, saving us so much pain, so it can be said that never so many lives were saved for the lives that were lost, and that for this reason our country, our country would always be grateful, and that our consideration for their loved ones was not a privilege for those loved ones, but respect for the memory of the fallen comrades (...) because if the enemy had effectively occupied and consolidated a piece of the national territory, they would not fit in this theater , The mourners who would have had to mourn the loss of their children or their parents, or their husbands, or their brothers would not even fit in the Civic Plaza! (...) "

At 5:30 am. From April 19, 1961, the last mercenary redoubt fell, the sands of Playa Girón shone again after 64 hours of eclipse by the invading boot.

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