Bay of Pigs Monument

Miami, Florida

The Bay of Pigs is in Cuba, and it was the destination of an invasion force in April 1961, determined to overthrow the island's communist Castro government. The plan was hatched during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower; the invaders were trained by the CIA; and the invasion was a spectacular, historically awful failure.

Many of the invaders were Cuban exiles living in Miami, and the survivors and their families never forgot the Bay of Pigs -- eventually having it recognized with a monument in Miami on the invasion's 62nd anniversary. Designed by Nilda Comas, it features a gun-toting invader -- his face is modeled on the first one who died -- emerging from behind a full-color Cuban flag, which is embossed with heroic images of planes, ships, paratroopers, and jungle-fighting soldiers.

An accompanying plaque suggests that Eisenhower's super awesome plan was botched by John F. Kennedy's administration, and states that, despite its failure, the invasion subsequently inspired "thousands" of native Cubans to rise up against Castro. It also notes that "most died in combat or were assassinated."