the end of Camelot page 6

 the end of Camelot page 6 by ric gustafson

By nightfall on April 19 1961, Operation Zapata was a total disaster. For the US, in addition to the disaster on the ground, Castro had sunk about a dozen invasion vessels and shot down 9 B-26 bombers. The defeat was a major humiliation for President Kennedy. He had to have a press conference. He took full blame for what happened.

A week after the Bay of Pigs debacle, President Kennedy met with his advisers in the Cabinet Room. Under Secretary of State Chester Bowles read a statement absolving the State Department of what happened with the Bay of Pigs. 

To the surprise of President Kennedy and Bobby, the President's approval rating rose to 83 percent. The American people stood behind the President's actions against Castro. 

April 1961 taught President Kennedy and Bobby that they were on their own. Meanwhile in the Soviet Union, the State Department returned Lee Harvey Oswald's American passport. Now he was allowed to return home.

research help: ' Killing Kennedy' by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric