I'm not sure that I understand the deterrent argument;
the USCG removed the people before they destroyed the
truck. What actually happened to the occupants? Were
they finally allowed to immigrate?
Thanks for the interesting post, Tom.
Drew
--- Tom Warner <twwood@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Miami -
> The Coast Guard said it was deterring copycat
> efforts when it sunk the 1951
> Chevrolet pickup that was converted into a boat by a
> group of Cubans, hoping
> to sail to the United States.
>
> Rear Admiral Harvey Johnson, the Coast Guard
> District Commander told the Miami
> Herald on Wednesday that it could pickup was
> salvaged from ocean waters
> instead of sound. It would've been a monument that
> encouraged similar efforts
> by other migrants.
>
> The truck was an encouragement for people in Cuba to
> think they need to make
> it to the United States. He said. It's very
> dangerous to come across in a
> rubber raft.
>
> The truck raft carrying 12 Cuban migrants was kept
> afloat by empty 55 gal.
> drums attached to the bottom is pontoon and
> propeller attached to the drive
> shaft of the vintage pickup was pushing a long and
> about 8 mph.
>
> The group got to within 40 mi. of Florida before
> being spotted by US Customs
> officials last month. The Coast Guard return the
> group to Cuba, and some to
> trot with machine-gun fire.
>
> Joe Garcia Executive Director of the Cuban American
> National foundation, said
> the decision to sank the boat was pathetic.
>
> What that Chevy would have represented was a
> struggle for freedom he said, not
> some kind of incentive for people to leave.
>
> Tom Warner
> 58 Short Fleetside
> Florida's Treasure Coast
> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built
> between 1941 and 1959
=====
Drew
http://www.oltrucks.com
http://www.norselander.com
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
__________________________________
Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software
http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|