William Alexander Morgan
American revolutionary / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Alexander Morgan (April 19, 1928 – March 11, 1961) was an American-born Cuban guerrilla commander who fought in the Cuban Revolution, leading a band of rebels that drove the Cuban army from key positions in the central mountains as part of Second National Front of Escambray, thereby helping to pave the way for Fidel Castro's forces to secure victory. Morgan was one of about two dozen U.S. citizens to fight in the revolution and one of only three foreign nationals to hold the rank of comandante in the rebel forces.[1] In the years after the revolution, Morgan became disenchanted with Castro's turn to communism and he became one of the leaders of the CIA-supplied Escambray rebellion. In 1961, he was arrested by the Cuban government and, after a military trial, executed by firing squad in the presence of Fidel and Raúl Castro.[2][3]
William Alexander Morgan | |
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Born | (1928-04-19)April 19, 1928 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Died | March 11, 1961(1961-03-11) (aged 32) |
Cause of death | Execution by firing squad |
Burial place | Colon Cemetery, Havana |
Nationality | American |
Citizenship | American (revoked in 1959, posthumously restored in 2009) Cuban (1959–1961) |
Occupation | Revolutionary |
Years active | 1957–1961 |
Known for | Commander of the Second National Front of the Escambray |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States (until 1959) |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1945–1948 |