Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Lot. This is an exceptionally scarce grouping of original and later veteran material connected with Cuban Assault Brigade 2506 and the April 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, highlighted by a remarkable camouflage uniform fragment personally inscribed by Brigade veteran Mario Medina Castillo, No. 4012, 5th Battalion, on May 26, 1961 in Havana. An April 25th, 1961 newspaper article identifies Castillo as a captured Brigade member being held in Cuba during April 1961, making this dedication a personal artifact written during his captivity following the failed invasion. Also included are an original 1st Parachute Battalion insignia mounted on uniform cloth, an early Brigade 2506 scroll, later veteran insignia, and an unusual Cuban patriotic ribbon assemblage.

This group came from the collection of military historian and writer Alejandro de Quesada, who collected a myriad of very niche and scarce conflicts & periods, one of which is the Bay of Pigs. His published works include the extensively illustrated Osprey study The Bay of Pigs: Cuba 1961.

De Quesada’s book draws upon Brigade veteran material and includes detailed treatment of the uniforms, insignia, equipment, and organization of Assault Brigade 2506. Osprey specifically notes the use of rare photographs from Brigade veterans and detailed color plates of the insignia worn by the opposing forces.

The Bay of Pigs Invasion, also known as Playa Girón in Cuba, after the beach where the battle took place, was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in April 1961 by the United States and the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front (DRF), consisting of Cuban exiles who opposed Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution, clandestinely and directly financed by the U.S. government. The operation took place at the height of the Cold War, and its failure influenced relations between Cuba, the United States, and the Soviet Union.

The lot of items include:

- Original 1st Parachute Battalion, Brigade 2506 patch depicting black bird’s head in front of parachute surrounded by laurels and CUBA at the top, stitched onto uniform fabric.
- Original Brigade 2506 scroll with later Veteran’s patch. The scroll or “rocker” is yellow with a blue border and letters, reading 2506. This is the correct earlier variation worn during the operation. The loose patch showing a Cuban flag in front of a cross is a later veteran’s patch.
- Veteran’s 2506 Patch & 2506 scroll sewn onto uniform fabric. These are both later veteran-worn patches.
- Red, white, and blue (Cuban flag) ribbon reading CON LA CRUZ POR DIOS Y POR CUBA or With the Cross, for God and for Cuba. Attached at one end by safety pin is a strip of camouflage fabric, likely from a parachute, and the other end has a smaller ribbon attached which is inscribed “Penlierto Sorria Rolando tara” although it is difficult to transcribe due to it being hand-written. The end of the long ribbon itself is inscribed 29. This may have been worn by a soldier during the operation!
- Lastly is a strip of camouflage uniform fabric measuring 6 ½ x 8 ½”, which is inscribed on one side:

HABANA - MAYO 26 - 1961
DEDICADO A HILARIA Y
ELLSWORTH
MARIO MEDINA CASTILLO
NO. 4012
COMPANIA “Q”
BATTALON 5
BRIGADA “2506”
LUGAR DE DESEMBARCO =
(BAHIA DE COCHINOS
MATANZAS
FECHA - 17 ABRIL 1961
10 A.M
POSICIÓN = (FUSILERO GRANADERO)
CON CARINO = Mario

HAVANA - MAY 26, 1961
DEDICATED TO HILARIA AND
ELLSWORTH
MARIO MEDINA CASTILLO
NO. 4012
COMPANY “Q”
BATTALION 5
BRIGADE “2506”
LANDING SITE =
(BAY OF PIGS
MATANZAS
DATE - APRIL 17, 1961
10 A.M.
POSITION = (RIFLEMAN-GRENADIER)
WITH LOVE = Mario

This is a dedication made by Mario Medina Castillo, who served as a Grenadier Rifleman, Company Q, 5th Battalion, Brigade 2506, landing on the Bay of Pigs at 10AM on April 17th, 1962. We can only assume that this was made when he was a prisoner of war after being captured. We were able to find on an archival website that Medina was confirmed as a member of the brigade in a publication called "Cuba Democratica", which contains lists of 2506 personnel at Finca Homestead, Navy, UDT units, and a general list of Bay of Pigs participants. In newspapers, we found that in April 1961, Castillo was listed as a rebel prisoner being held in Cuba. We are hopeful that he was eventually released, but we could find no information confirming this. This small strip of cloth is a dedication made by a man who wasn’t sure if he would ever be released, and is worthy of being professionally framed and displayed.

Taken together, the named 1961 captivity-era dedication, original 1st Parachute Battalion patch on uniform cloth, early 2506 scroll, later veteran insignia, patriotic ribbon assemblage, and Alejandro de Quesada collection provenance form an unusually rich study group spanning both the April 1961 invasion and the later veteran culture that preserved the memory of Brigade 2506.