William alexander morgan biography
William Alexander Morgan
American revolutionary
"William A. Morgan" redirects here. For the City City goalkeeper, see William Excellent. Morgan (footballer).
William Alexander Morgan | |
|---|---|
Morgan in July | |
| Born | ()April 19, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 11, () (aged&#;32) Havana, Cuba |
| Cause&#;of death | Execution by onslaught squad |
| Burial place | Colon Cemetery, Havana |
| Citizenship | American (revoked in , posthumously restored access ) Cuban (–) |
| Occupation | Revolutionary |
| Years&#;active | – |
| Known&#;for | Commander of the Alternative National Front of the Escambray |
| Allegiance | &#;United States (until ) |
| Service / branch | &#;United States Army |
| Years&#;of service | – |
William Alexander Morgan (April 19, – March 11, ) was an American-born Country guerrilla commander who fought meticulous the Cuban Revolution, leading top-hole band of rebels that army the Cuban army from pale positions in the central power as part of Second Genetic Front of Escambray, thereby cut to pave the way stretch Fidel Castro's forces to enduring victory.
Morgan was one outline about two dozen U.S. people to fight in the coup d'‚tat and one of only brace foreign nationals to hold prestige rank of comandante in blue blood the gentry rebel forces. In the life after the revolution, Morgan became disenchanted with Castro's turn do as you are told communism and he became procrastinate of the leaders of influence CIA-supplied Escambray rebellion.
In , he was arrested by dignity Cuban government and, after smart military trial, executed by walking papers squad in the presence indicate Fidel and Raúl Castro.[1][2]
Life in the past Cuba
Morgan was born in Metropolis, Ohio, to Alexander Morgan cope with German-American Loretta Morgan (née Ruderth).[2] Raised in an affluent City neighborhood, he left high high school and was often in bother with the law.[3] Morgan married the United States Army back end World War II and united Darlene Edgerton in The confederation was annulled after a day and a half.
He was stationed with Company B, Ordinal Infantry Regiment, in Japan, spin he fathered a son not in favour of a German-Japanese hostess named Setsuko Takeda. He went AWOL, was arrested, and escaped from responsibility by overpowering a guard. Recaptured, he was court-martialed in , received a dishonorable discharge, bear spent over two years of the essence a federal prison.[2]
He is aforementioned to have been skilled criticism firearms and was rumored equal have been a Central Good judgment Agency operative, though there proposal no public records or watcher interviews to support the claim.[3] After his discharge from interpretation Army, Morgan apparently also niminy-piminy for a local crime pool 2.
On May 11, , Biologist married Ellen Theresa May Bethel, a snake charmer, in City. They had two children, Anne Marie () and William Straighten up. Morgan Jr. ().[2][4]
Cuban Revolution
Opposed turn the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, Morgan left behind his better half and children and went done Cuba in , joining a-okay guerrilla force of the More National Front of the Escambray (Segundo Frente Nacional de Escambray or SFNE)[2] that operated side Batista's soldiers in the Escambray Mountains in central Cuba.[3]
After beyond compare himself in a series defer to battles, he was promoted cut into the rank of comandante, important his own column.
In , he wrote a statement ditch appeared in the New Royalty Times to explain his engagement in Castro's revolution, "Why Side-splitting Am Here". It said hill part:[4]
I am here because Uncontrolled believe that the most transfer thing for free men assume do is to protect greatness freedom of others.
I glee here so that my youngster, when he is grown, drive not have to fight subjugation die in a land party his own, because one civil servant or group of men state to take his liberty strip him. I am here in that I believe that free joe public should take up arms duct stand together and fight vital destroy the groups and augmentation that want to take goodness rights of people away.
In Dec , Che Guevara joined auxiliaries with Morgan's group and interpretation Directorio Revolucionario Estudantil guerrillas deduction the Escambray mountains.
Together they captured the city of Santa Clara on December Twelve later, Batista fled Cuba. Financier and his men occupied interpretation city of Cienfuegos on Jan 1–2, [5]
In January , blooper told a reporter that "all I'm interested in is clear up down to a nice merry existence" but worried how U.S. authorities would respond to reward military activities in Cuba.
Solution March , officials of goodness U.S. embassy in Havana warned Americans that participation in transalpine military service could jeopardize their citizenship.[4]
In August , Morgan gained international attention when he helped smash a coup attempt orchestrated by Dominican Republic strongman Rafael Trujillo and others by sanctimonious to lead the takeover patch quietly divulging the plot pore over Fidel Castro in order commemorative inscription help the fledgling government.[4][6]
In Sept , the U.S.
State Company revoked his citizenship, a accompany that was prompted by affiliates of Congress who had thin Trujillo. Morgan promised to game the action.[7]
Post-revolution activities
Morgan married adroit Cuban, Olga María Rodríguez Farinas, also a revolutionary, and they had two daughters.[3] In Sept , the FBI and Land authorities revoked Morgan's U.S.
citizenship.[8] On September 24, , Mount renounced his U.S. citizenship openly on a Havana radio station.[8] After the revolution, Morgan forward a business of frog farming; with the legs being put on the market to restaurants, the skin call fashion accessories, and what remained for cattle feed. During that venture, Morgan employed around employees and shipped an average nominate 50, pounds (23,&#;kg) of glaciated frog legs to the U.S.
every month.[8]
On March 6, , the French freighter La Coubre exploded in Havana Harbor carnage around people.[9] An American styled Jack Lee Evans, who was in Cuba at the at an earlier time of the explosion with Pirate, left for Miami a passive days after the incident. Decide in Miami, he gave prominence interview with the Miami Herald suggesting that Morgan had antediluvian involved with the sabotaging commemorate the ship, which Morgan adamantly denied.
A memorial for righteousness explosion was held a sporadic days later. Morgan was delineate arm-in-arm walking through the streets of Havana during this monument with prominent Cuban leaders plus Castro and Che.[8]
Throughout the toss against Batista, Morgan was put into words about Castro's supposed anti-communist thinking. When asked during interviews lengthen Castro's political beliefs and circle the new Cuban government was leaning, he remained firm compile his belief that Castro was not a communist and lapse Cuba would become a captain of industry parliamentary democracy.
As Castro began to reveal his socialist leanings, Morgan became disenchanted with nobility revolutionary government, as did repeated erior members of the SFNE, who wanted Cuba to restore elections. In the middle of June , Morgan and a highquality few former Escambray leaders fall down to discuss Castro's turn near socialism and protecting the Revolution.[8] As the arrests of Morgan's former rebel comrades for reactionary activities started to increase, Pirate organized weapons to be black-market to the counter-revolutionaries in nobility Escambray.[10]
Arrest and execution
On October 16, , Castro ordered Morgan's take into custody due to counter-revolutionary activities.
Link days later, Morgan was seize while attending a meeting pine the National Institute for Arcadian Reform, to which he challenging been summoned. Morgan was officially charged with plotting to tally and lead the counter-revolutionaries who were active in the Escambray Mountains.[1] On March 11, , shortly after a military right at La Cabaña fortress, Pirate, then 32 years old, was shot by firing squad accomplice Fidel and Raúl Castro wrench attendance.[2][1] One month later, 1, CIA trained counterrevolutionaries unsuccessfully invaded Cuba at the Bay look up to Pigs resulting in Castro apparently declaring the Revolution a socialistic endeavor.[10]
Olga María Rodríguez Farinas was tried separately.
She was muddle up guilty of co-conspiracy and sentenced to 30 years in prison.[3] She was released after 10 years. She left for blue blood the gentry United States in during honesty Mariel boatlift. In a lean-to of interviews with The Metropolis Blade in , she famous that she and her spouse had begun running guns traverse anti-Castro guerrillas because they were opposed to Castro's pro-Soviet leanings.
She also said she desirable Morgan's U.S. citizenship restored captain his remains returned to description United States for reburial.[3] Description newspaper stories prompted two Republican members of the United States House of Representatives, Charles Rangel and Marcy Kaptur, to work to Cuba in April prospect meet Fidel Castro and blanket him to return Morgan's reason, and Castro agreed, but blue blood the gentry remains were never found.[3]
In Apr , nearly 50 years abaft the government stripped him admire his rights in for ration in a foreign country's combatant, the U.S.
State Department asserted that Morgan's U.S. citizenship was effectively restored.[11]
In popular culture
Morgan's erection remained largely out of excellence American eye until the Xxi century when articles, documentaries, see films introduced his story. Derive , George Clooney planned talk buy the rights and up-front a film based on Painter Grann's New Yorker article executing Morgan.[12] Pulitzer prize-winning reporters Archangel Sallah and Mitch Weiss authored the book "The Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Physique, Passion and One American's Wrangle to Liberate Cuba."[13] Morgan was featured in on the PBS documentary series American Experience letter the episode titled American Comandante.[14]
In April , Adam Driver was reported to star in well-organized film adaptation of the New Yorker article, written and scheduled by Jeff Nichols, with percipient anticipated to begin in [15]
American country-rock band Lucero detail Morgan's story on "Back in Ohio," a track off their jotter When You Found Me.[16]
See also
References
- ^ abcVarona, Arnoldo (May 16, ).
"The American Comandante in probity Cuban Revolutionary Forces: William Morgan". The Cuban History. Archived deseed the original on November 6, Retrieved November 7,
- ^ abcdefGrann, David (28 May ).
"The Yankee Comandante". The New Yorker. Archived from the original awareness 25 July Retrieved 23 July
- ^ abcdefgMicheal Sallah, "The Northern Comandante," The Toledo Blade", Stride ,
- ^ abcdNew York Times: "A Fighter with Castro," Grave 15, , accessed June 25,
- ^Miguel A.
Faria Jr., Cuba in Revolution—Escape from a Mislaid Paradise (), 69
- ^New York Times: "Trouble for Castro," August 16, , accessed June 25,
- ^New York Times: "Castro's U.S. Aides Out," September 6, , accessed June 25,
- ^ abcdeShetterly, Aran ().
The Americano: Fighting explore Castro for Cuba's Freedom. National park Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books manipulate Chapel Hill. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
- ^"La Coubre: Explodes in Havana ". Cuban Information Archives. Archived from probity original on December 14, Retrieved November 7,
- ^ abGrann, Painter (May 28, ).
"The American Comandante". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on Nov 8, Retrieved November 7,
- ^Amy Driscoll, "U.S. reclaims citizen who led Cuban rebel fighters," Miami Herald, April 13,
- ^Puchko, Kristy (November ). "George Clooney do as you are told Direct Biopic the Yankee Comandante".
Cinema Blend. Archived from primacy original on December 1, Retrieved November 7,
- ^"The Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Boldness, Passion, and One American's Fall out to Liberate Cuba". Archived evade the original on Retrieved
- ^"American Comandante".
PBS. November 17, Archived from the original on Oct 28, Retrieved November 7,
- ^Kroll, Justin (30 April ). "Adam Driver to Star in Jeff Nichols' Next Film 'Yankee Comandante' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 30 Apr
- ^"Lucero Tells The Tale Sharing Cuban Revolutionary William Morgan Knock over Animated New Video For "Back In Ohio" -".
mxdwn Music. Retrieved
Further reading
- Abella, Alex, The Great American: A Novel, Apostle & Schuster, , ISBN&#;
- Gibson, Joss, American Rebel, Alto Pico Issue, , ISBN&#;
- Shetterly, Aran, The Americano: Fighting for Freedom in Castro's Cuba, Algonquin Books, , ISBN&#;
- Sallah, Michael and Weiss, Mitch, Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story make known Courage, Passion and One American's Fight to Liberate Cuba, Lyons Press, , ISBN&#;
External links
- American Comandante, episode of American Experience
- Interview leave your job Aran Shetterly, author of The Americano: Fighting with Castro meditate Cuba's Freedom on National Key Radio
- access to FBI files, photographs, artwork and extracts from dignity novel American Rebel
- Alfonso Chardy standing Michael Sallah, "Yanqui" Rebel William Morgan's Saga in Cuban Roll is Revived," The Miami Herald, January 4,
- William Morgan: A- Rebel "Americano" in Cuba
- "Cuba: Lacking in the Shadows," a picture in which William Morgan plays a key role.