On April 17, 1961, Cuban exiles financed and trained by the United States through the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched the Bay of Pigs invasion to oppose Fidel Castro and thwart his communist revolution in Cuba. The invasion failed and was deemed a foreign-policy disaster. Plans began during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration and were inherited by President John F. Kennedy, who approved the operation but lost resolve to commit the U.S. military support needed for success once it began.

Jack Hawkins, a Marine colonel experienced in guerrilla and amphibious operations, was chosen to plan, train, and command the CIA operation. After the operation was declassified in 1996, Hawkins shared his thoughts about its failure. He attempted to cancel the mission when it became clear that Kennedy prioritized plausible deniability over military success and would not provide critical air support.

Hawkins was born in Texas on October 25, 1916, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1939 with a commission in the Marine Corps. He was assigned to the Fourth Marines in China and his unit moved to the Philippines prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which led the nation into World War II. Hawkins was taken prisoner by the Japanese during the Battle of Corregidor and fall of the Philippines in May 1942. He spent eleven months in captivity before escaping and joining an American-Filipino guerrilla force.  For seven months he fought with this unit against Japanese occupiers. In November 1943, he escaped to Australia on board an American submarine. Hawkins was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in the Philippines. Later in the war he helped plan the invasion of Okinawa. Hawkins led a Marine battalion during the Inchon Landing of the Korean War and fought at the Chosin Reservoir, for which he earned a Silver Star. He was promoted to full colonel in 1955 and instructed amphibious landings at Quantico. His background uniquely qualified him to plan the Cuban invasion. He retired from active duty in 1965. He died May 17, 2013, and was buried in Quantico National Cemetery (Section 22, Site 603).

National Memorial Cemetery at Quantico

Col.  a fantastic life story ... your service to the Nation should always be remembered.

JACK HAWKINS

Service

EX-PRISONER OF WAR

COL

Resting Place

Mementos

Tributes

Word Cloud

undefined

Milestones

Mementos

Historical Documents

Veteran programs and services

More VA resources

Get VA updates

In crisis? Get help now

Contact us