This man who stood firm in the face of such brutality, who would not surrender himself to the wishes of his torturer was Air Force pilot Earl Cobeil. Earl Cobeil died in captivity, and he is pictured here. As a result of being tortured by a Castro agent, Earl passed away. These accounts are but a microcosm of the terrible acts committed against American POWs in Vietnam by Castro agents, acts which are in direct violation of the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. To violate the provisions enshrined in this document run against the grain of civilized society and undermine the integrity of the international community as a whole.
Humanity is one.
When one suffers, we all suffer. Thus, violations of this protocol are not just crimes against one individual but against all of humanity. The Cuba Program was part of a difficult period in our Nation's history, one which many would like to forget. However, we cannot allow the suffering of those brave soldiers to have been in vain. Thus, the unconscionable acts which they were subjected to cannot and must not go unnoticed and they must not go unpunished.