Non-political Castro question
 

This is not - I repeat - not - an attempt to start any kind of political discussion whatsoever. I am just trying to remember something and figured this is the age group to ask for help.

So... Castro stepped down today. The news started me thinking back - way back.

A lot of us may have some vague childhood memories of Cuba before Castro when people took vacations there.

I will never forget my early teenage memory of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was absolutely terrified. I was so afraid that I would die - never having known true love. (How self-absorbed and obnoxious teenager-style is that? I guess I thought it was all about me!)

But there is a memory that I can't get to come in clearly and I thought maybe somebody would know.

What in the heck was the deal with Castro having live chickens in a hotel in NYC or DC or somewhere in the US. When? Where? What? Why?

I don't think I am making this one up. I suppose I could be abandoned to hang out here in cyberspace all alone with my stupid question. But that fear has never stopped me before.

So...can anybody tell me what I am talking about?

Thanks.

Boomer

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

sorry Boomer, that was a decade before my time LOLOL,
no, I don't recall

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

JohnN,

Stop doing math in your head and get back to work. I said "vague" childhood memory and "early" teenage memory.

A decade. H-m-m-m- --- Uh oh.

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

Found this for you Boomer:

From Benjamin Karim's memoir
REMEMBERING MALCOLM, pp.111-112
Carroll & Graf Publishers 1992

"Malcolm's powers of persuasion did not entirely succeed
with Fidel Castro. In September 1960, when Castro came to
New York to speak at the United Nations, the press got word
from his midtown hotel that along with his entourage Castro
was traveling with live chickens, to be sure he'd have
untainted poultry, and evidently had had their necks wrung
hi his hotel room. Blood was splattered, and feathers were
strewn, everywhere, on the walls, carpet, bedspreads,
chairs. The press was having a field day. So Malcolm sent
word to Castro that he should move uptown to the Hotel
Theresa. An FOI brother, Luqman, who was working with the
Cubans on security at the hotel, was informed by a Cuban
official that Castro would like to meet with Malcolm.

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

BOOMER
I remember it very well, This was part of the backwash of the "Bay of Pigs " fiasco,,,,,When the UN invited Castro to New York he was so afraid of being poisoned that he brought his own food aka CHICKENS with him which turned out to be lousy PR .....as the news media had a field day with it trying to make him look like a country bumkin ..........If they succeeded or not , you'll have to decide..........

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

Thank you all,

It is good to know that I did not make it all up.

I seem to remember pictures from Life or some other magazine at the time.

Boomer

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

chelsea:

Is the Malcolm mentioned above Mr X?


During the Missile Crisis I was recently out of HS and drove my retired grandparents down to Bradenton from Chicago. I was working for Publix (for a buck an hour) and after Kennedy's TV speech it seemed like the whole city of Bradenton was at Publix buying up all the available food and had plans to go off into the swamps to evade the missile barrage from Cuber. A few months later, the Publix manager offered me a raise of a nickel and hour. I said no thanks and soon after got on a train to go back home.

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

Boomer, haven't read all the posts cause I'm in a hurry - gotta go to Katie Belle's tonight to dance.

Anyway, I remember the whole story, he came to New York in the 60's with parades and lots of exciting lies and stayed at the St. Theresa (I think) Hotel in Harlem. Everyone was praising him and thinking he was going to do something good for cuba, and he was better than Battista. Since I was a young kid, I don't remember all the politics but do remember the hoopla about him bringing chickens and his army guys into the hotel and making it a total mess.

That's all I can remember, and maybe later, I'll read the posts to see what others say. Hope this helps, and yes! I am very very old - not only very very shy, but very very old.

Kath

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

Ah, memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Just how old is this bunch anyway? - can't be that old. Can we? I prefer to think that we just have excellent memories. Well, sort of.

A friend of mine told me that her father was stationed in Cuba in the military. When they had to get outa Dodge during that time, she had just a very short time to pack. Her mother told her to grab what she needed. She left Cuba clutching only her collection of little toy horses.

Gee, maybe on some other slow night we can talk about where we were when Kennedy was assasinated.

Re: Non-political Castro question
 

Hi Chuck, yes Malcom X. Very interesting story. :)