Ricardo Sardina joined the
Linfield College faculty in 1966 and retired from the college in 1985.
· The story directly below is from
the Eureka, Calif., Humboldt (County)
Times, Oct. 17, 1965. This was prior to when Sardina joined Linfield. At
that time he was a teacher at Arcata, Calif., High School.
· A story from Dec. 22, 1969,
Salem, Ore., Capital Journal is about
Sardina continuing his work with “Cuban refugees and former migrant workers,
including 14 who are now, have been or soon with be Linfield College students."
· Another story, from the Salem,
Ore., Statesman Journal, June 19,
1977, is about Sardina, Cuban exile, recalling effort to get aid from President
Kennedy, the Bay of Pigs fiasco in 1961.
· A story after Sardina (born in
Cuba in 1918) died in Flordia at age 81 in 2000 is posted here. It’s from Miami Herald, Feb. 29, 2000.
· Another source indicates his full
name might have been Ricardo
Rafael Sardina-Sanchez. Nothing posted here related to that.
Arcata, Calif. (Humboldt County) High School Teacher Exchanges Cuban Invasion Guns For Spanish Classroom
Eureka, Calif., Humboldt (County)
Times, Oct. 17, 1965
It all seems such a long time ago.
And, to Dr.
Ricardo R. Sardina, the road from the Bay of Pigs, Cuban invasion disaster,
to his Spanish Language classroom at Arcata High School, has been a difficult
one.
But invasions and international politics are no longer a
significant part of Dr. Sardina’s life.
It was a different story less than five years ago when Dr.
Sardina was the executive secretary — leader — of El Frente Revolucionario
Democrático.
Dr. Sardina, a former classmate, friend and revolutionary
leader with Fidel Castro, had had his fill of the Cuban Revolution for he had
come to recognize it as Communist infested and directed.
Dr. Sardina. 47, was born in Matanzas, central Cuba. At
the University of Havana, he entered the School of Law where he met and became
a friend of Castro, now the Cuban dictator.
Dr. Sardina said he knew Castro was seeking a new
political force for Cuba. He had heard Castro was seeking Communist support in
Mexico for a Cuban revolution.
"But, I didn’t know for certain then, and I’m not
even sure today whether Castro is an absolute Communist.” Dr. Sardina said.
He said he knows Castro is political opportunist and one
who today, if it served his purposes, might disavow communism to curry U.S.
favor or that of any other country or group of countries.
But, when the Castro revolution was successful, Dr.
Sardina was made president of the Sugar Growers’ principal economical
association in Cuba.
He said of the job:
“… But I lasted on three day on the job, because I saw
almost immediately Castro’s land reform movement was unconstitutional.
“Land was expropriated from Sardina said, the owners
without compensation.”
He said in May and June of 1960, he used the Cuban radio and
television to speak out against Castro’s land reform program.“
I could do that at the time because Castro had not yet
consolidated his power 'to stop the broadcasts,” Dr. Sardina said.
As the Cuban dictatorship tightened its control, Dr. left
for Miami, where he continued his attacks on the Cuban Revolution by radio and
writing.
He wrote a book, "Seis Minutos de Tragedia Cubana
", exposing the Castro revolution for what it had become.
But, writing and radio broadcasts were not enough for Dr.
Sardina. He became an important part of the movement to mount a
counter-revolution to free the Cuban people from the Castro-Communist grasp.
The movement, El Frente Revolucionario Democtraties, included
five top leaders with Dr. Sadrina as the principal one.
It was El Frente’s aim to organize the various Cuban
exile groups into a counter-revolutionary army strong enough to retake Cuba
Dr. Sardina traveled throughout South America contacting Cuban
exiles and attempting to get financial and military aid for the planned Cuban
invasion.
He said, had free nations supported the invasion army
with military aid weapons and supplies, there is no doubt the invasion could have
been successful.
There was some aid from “friends” in various nations.
“But,” said Dr. Sardina, “I knew more than a month before
the invasion was scheduled to be launched it was doomed to failure for lack of
fighting weapons.”
It was for that reason Dr. Sardina resigned his position
as executive secretary of the counter-revolutionary movement.
“But, I did not resign from the movement. I planned to go
with the invasion force as a solider, even though I knew it was doomed.”
He said lack for communication between the movement
headquarters in Miami and the invasion force training in Guatemala, kept news
of his resignation and his reasons from reaching the invasion army.
Dr. Sardina resigned on April 5, 1961, 12 days before the
invasion.
On the same day, he and three Cuban
counter-revolutionaries, including Miro Cardona – who was elected to take Dr.
Sardina’s place as executive secretary – were to leave by plane for the invasion
force.
“But, a strange thing happened,” said Dr. Sardina,” The
plane which was to take us (to) Guatemala from a place in Florida never arrived
and communications between invasion headquarters and the invasion forces were
cut.”
Dr. Sardina said the force was left almost leaderless
except for Manuel Artime, who had left headquarters a month before for
Guatemala.
Dr. Sardina said he doesn’t know who gave the final
invasion order. “…. But the decision was criminal, the invasions has no chance
for success.”
All the world knows the invasion result.
More than 1,500 Cuban exiles were landed on the beaches
in the Bay of Pigs.
Without sufficient military supplies and air cover, the
counter-revolutionaries were left stranded to be overwhelmed in three days of
Castro’s superior military force.
“I could do that at the time because Castro had not yet
consolidated his power 'to stop the broadcasts,” Dr. Sardina said. He said:
“There is a time for everything. In 1961 it was the fine
for invasion. But not now.”
He said Castro a year ago had more than 200,000 militiamen
keeping control in Cuba and 40,000 Russians and Red Chinese soldiers making
certain the militiamen remained “loyal.”
“There will be no invasion now,” Dr. Sardina said.
Queried why Castro had promised to allow Cubans wanting
to, to leave Cuba, Dr. Sardina said the move is a “political measure.”
He said Castro first gives the world the impression he
has a tight grip on the Cuban people.
Secondly, Dr. Sardina said, the Communists don’t care if
even 45 per cent of the Cubans leave the country. They control the country and
the remaining Cubans provide for their material wants.
Dr. Sardina will be the guest speaker during a luncheon
meeting Tuesday sponsored by the Arcata Soroptimists’ Club.
It will be held in the Dinner Bell restaurant, on the
Plaza in Arcata.
:::Photo cutline: Dr. Ricardo R. Sardina, Spanish language
teacher at Arcata High School, explains His book, "Seis Minutos de
Tragedia Cubana " It tells of the Cuban exiles' ill-fated attempt to
retake their country from Dictator Fidel Castro.:::
……………………..
