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Emmanuel Aguilar Mary Gifford English 114B 18 February 2014 Project Text 1 Some people live their whole life without ever knowing what doing something courageous feels like, there are others who perform courageous acts just to get noticed by people, and then there are people like Mike Howell who knew, helping people comes with tremendous joy and satisfaction. Mike Howell, Vietnam veteran and hero to Cuban refugees, made a big impact in lives of Cuban exodus. In a time and place where, if you werent apart of The Revolution, you would be shadowed and out casted in your own country. Mike Howell wasnt the only hero in this era, but this is just to show that people big or small, normal or world leader, can really make a big impact in sensitive times or situations. Mike Howell was born in Atlanta, Georgia on September 26, 1947 and passed away March 26, 2011(website, Mike Howell Obituary). Mike Howell moved to New Orleans at a very young age and grew up there. Mikes Vietnam time was that of a hero. He earned the Red Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, many air medals, two purple hearts, and many other medals and acknowledgements. He also flew over four- hundred missions as a helicopter gunner. Mike played a key role in the infamous Bay of Pigs invasion. During the Bay of Pigs invasion Mike Howell lent out his ship, the Maana to people involved with operations. Mike lost his arm in a horrible explosion when he and his crew ended up in the wrong area. Though he pulled

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through he is constantly reminded of the horrific accident and how dangerous war is. His war time alone states plenty, I feel like every war veteran is a hero and should be respected on just that, but the fact that Mike Howell went above and beyond speaks highly of itself. I know if I was in the Vietnam War and I had a soldier such as Mike along my side, I would feel a lot more comfortable because of the impact he presents. When Mike Howell was asked to tow the Valley Chief, a broken down sixty-foot shrimp boat[which] the flotation line was way below the water level (Ojito, 2006), to Key West, he was shocked, but remembering he was in Cuba and all he wanted was to leave, he quickly agreed. Though Mike had originally went to Cuba to fulfill an already heroic mission, taking Cuban refugees to Florida on the Maana, he knew that in order to leave as soon as possible this would be the only way. Mike had bought the Maana for $1,200 (Ojito, 2006)only to tow boats in trouble or rescue people at sea along Lake Pontchartrain, but when a man by the name of Rogelio Ventura approached him and asked if he could take him to Cuba to pick up people and he would pay him, Mike, being the hero that he was, agreed to the terms without taking Rogelios money. Mike Howell reached Mariel Harbor; he had his list that was given to him by the CubanAmerican back in New Orleans. The list had the mans name plus the loved ones he wanted to bring back with him. In Havana already, the Cubans gave Mike Howell a hard time. First they gave him a different list which included the original names plus three hundred other names. At that point Mike knew that his Maana would never make it there with that many passengers. Then a Cuban major told Mike he could leave but if he took this broken- down shrimp boat called the Valley Chief. Mike agreed, but decided to put all the men on the Valley chief and the women and children on the Maana. He did this because it was rumored that Cubans let inmates and former cons on the ships, so he decided, for safety purposes all men would stay on one

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different boat. They eventually let him go and 124,000 Cubans were freed and made it to the United States that year (Bell, 2008). Mike Howell did not have to help those people, who wanted to leave Cuba, nor did he have to tow the valley chief to Key West, but the type of person Mike was allowed him to impact so many peoples lives. Among the Cuban exodus that Mike took on his Maana and Valley Chief was a sixteen year old girl by the name of Mirta Ojito. Her and her family had been waiting years to leave Cuba and during that time, felt it hard being an outcast in their own country of Cuba. It is well documented in Mirta Ojitos book she wrote, Finding Maana, that Mike Howell despite dangerous weather, illegal actions, and the fact that he could get jailed he proceeded with the blessing from a senators assistant and a blessing from an unknown voice at the White House. The State Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service had issued repeated warnings against bringing refugees from Cuba illegally The State Department carried the threat of prison, as well as a two-thousand-dollar fine and forfeiture of the vessel. The Immigration and Naturalization Services announcement warned that it would fine boat captains a thousand dollars per passenger and seize the boat until the fine was paid (Ojito, 2006). This was a heavy toll to pay for Mike Howell who already owed banks about a hundred and sixtythousand-dollars because of his boat embellishes and repairs. By saying yes to Rogelio Ventura, he truly impacted his life so much that he was crying out of joy. Not only would Mike impact his life but he would also impact numerous families aboard the Maana and the Valley Chief. In all 124,000 Cubans made their way to the U.S. that year (Bell, 2008). Aboard these ships, were Mirta Ojito and her family. In Mirta Ojitos book, Finding Maana she explains how Mike Howell was the captain of the Maana and how he truly changed their lives. For about sixteen years Mirtas family wanted to escape Cuba. They wanted

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to leave so bad that they did not participate in anything that was revolutionary, which raised a lot of eyebrows around the community. Mirta was out casted at school because she did not participate in political things and neither did her parents. When Mirta was sixteen years old Mike Howell saved their lives and changed their future. Mike Howell didnt know these people aboard his ships, but that did not stop him from letting them on and transporting them out of Cuba. After Vietnam Mike Howell Made a living towing doing salvage work, petty things because he also had his army pension, plus Mike was happy living on his Maana and cruising the Gulf of Mexico. Mike Howell was a guest on a New Orleans television show, where he was asked if a book was to be written about this story would it be fiction or non- fiction; to which Mike Howell replied, I dont think you could make up a story as interesting as this is (Bell, 2008). Mike Howell Passed away recently and has an obituary page to which family friends may write in and send their condolences. After reading this book and other sources about Captain Mike Howell, I clearly see how much of a real life hero he was and how many lives he truly impacted. Even on his obituary page there are still people who speak on how much he changed their life or their familys life. I hope my argument was stated and clear that Mike Howell was a good person and a hero during his time.

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Works Cited
"Bayou of Pigs: The True Story of an Audacious Plot to Turn a Tropical Island ..." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.
Bell, Stewart. "Captain Mike Howell." Bayou of Pigs. Mississauga (Ont.): J. Wiley & Sons Canada, 2008. N. pag. Print Ojito, Mirta A. "9 Captain Mike Howell: Sailing Manana." New York: Penguin, 2005. N. pag. Print. .