In honor of the Veterans of Assault Brigade 2506:

Fifty years ago this week, a group of brave Cuban exiles who eagerly volunteered for a clandestine CIA-backed invasion to topple Cuban leader Fidel Castro were left largely abandoned on the beaches of the Bay of Pigs.

The promised and much-needed U.S. air support evaporated just as Brigade fighters invaded on April 17, 1961 -- bringing the assault to a disastrous end in just three days.

The Bay of Pigs fiasco would go down as one of the United States’ biggest strategic blunders and a black mark for President John F. Kennedy’s young administration.

The death toll: 104 men killed, including four U.S. pilots. More than 1,100 other Brigade fighter imprisoned, serving up to 20 months in a dungeon-like prison called El Castillo del Principe. In December of 1962, Castro traded them in exchange for shipments of medicine and food.

Many went on to have successful lives and now are honored in the Cuban exile community as the only organized and U.S.-backed group of men who tried to overthrow Castro.

How it works:

The database includes the names of Brigade 2506 veterans, their assigned numbers, battalions, ages, professions, what role they had in the invasion and other details.

If you have any questions or concerns about the database, please contact Luisa Yanez at bayofpigs@MiamiHerald.com or at Lyanez@MiamiHerald.com or by calling 305-376-4627.

The Bay of Pigs Database is a five month-long project by The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. It is the creation of Eloisa Echazabal, Monika Leal, and Monique Madan. Special thanks to Pablo Pérez-Cisneros Barreto.