American Essence

Grateful Bay of Pigs Survivor Still ‘Willing to Die for This Country’

To Jose ‘Pepe’ Tomeu, America means ‘freedom, love, and prosperity.’
Grateful Bay of Pigs Survivor Still ‘Willing to Die for This Country’
Jose “Pepe” Tomeu, 81, at home in Alachua, Fla. (Natasha Holt）
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He wasn’t born in the United States, but Jose “Pepe” Tomeu says he would die for it. “Any day, at any time—till the day I die,” the 81-year-old Bay of Pigs survivor told American Essence, his voice full with emotion.
Tomeu came to the United States with his parents in 1960 after their family farm was seized by the Cuban government under Fidel Castro. He was 16. He blames the communist dictator for stealing the life they had in their homeland. But America is the land that he loves now. By sharing his story, he hopes to encourage his fellow Americans to protect the United States from the creep of communism.

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Natasha Holt
Natasha Holt
Author
Natasha Holt is an award-winning freelance journalist covering politics and social issues. She also writes features on travel-related topics and uplifting slices of American life.