20th century | Casting Lots: A Survival Cannibalism Podcast

When John F. Kennedy backs an invasion by sea of Fidel Castro’s Cuba, disastrously poor planning leaves Brigade 2506 in dire straits.

Did you know Casting Lots now has merch? Find us on Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/CastingLotsPod/shop

CREDITS

Written, hosted and produced by Alix Penn and Carmella Lowkis.

Theme music by Daniel Wackett. Find him on Twitter @ds_wack and Soundcloud as Daniel Wackett.

Logo by Riley. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @tallestfriend.

Casting Lots is part of the Morbid Audio Podcast Network. Network sting by Mikaela Moody. Find her on Bandcamp as mikaelamoody1.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alfonso, P. (1998). ‘Bay of Pigs survivor: We became cannibals’, Miami Herald, 16 April. Available at: http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/bay-of-pigs/baypigs2.htm
‘Bay of Pigs Invasion’. (2021). Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion
‘Bay of Pigs Survivor Tells ‘Secret’ of Cannibalism’. (1998). Orlando Sentinel, 16 April. Available at: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1998-04-16-9804151076-story.html
Cannibalism: Secrets Revealed. (2007). History Channel, 24 April. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I95evV1eYqQ&ab_channel=DocumentaryArchive
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Alejandro del Valle Martí. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2121/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Ernesto Ibrahín Hernández Cosío. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2555/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Jesús Vilarchao Quintana. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2677/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Jorge García Villalta y Espinosa. Available at:
http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2675/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – José García Montes y Angulo. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2695/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Julio Caballero González. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2694
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Manuel J. García Rosales. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2344/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Marco Tulio García Turino. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2679/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Raúl García Menocal Fowler. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2680/
Cuba Archive. (2016). Case Record – Rubén Vera Ortíz. Available at: http://database.cubaarchive.org/search/simple-search-view-case/2676/
Cueto, J.C. et al. (2021). ‘How the Bay of Pigs invasion began – and failed – 60 years on’, BBC News, 23 April. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56808455
Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021). ‘Cold War’, in Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War
Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2021). ‘Fidel Castro’, in Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fidel-Castro
‘Fidel Castro: Dodging exploding seashells, poison pens and ex-lovers’. (2016). BBC News, 27 November. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-38121583
History.com editors. (2020). ‘Bay of Pigs Invasion’, History, 30 March. Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bay-of-pigs-invasion
History.com editors. (2021). ‘The Bay of Pigs Invasion Begins’, History, 16 April. Available at: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-bay-of-pigs-invasion-begins
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (n.d.). The Bay of Pigs. Available at: https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/the-bay-of-pigs
Newcott, B. (2021). ‘After 60 years, Bay of Pigs disaster still haunts veterans who fought’, National Geographic, 16 April. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/bay-of-pigs-disaster-still-haunts-veterans-who-faught-60th-anniversary
Pruitt, S. (2021). ‘5 Things You Might Not Know About the Bay of Pigs Invasion’, History, 15 March. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-bay-of-pigs-invasion
Serena, K. (2018). ‘In 1994, The U.S. Military Actually Considered Building A “Gay Bomb”’, All That’s Interesting, 2 February. Available at: https://allthatsinteresting.com/gay-bomb
‘2 Bay of Pigs Survivors Tell of Cannibalism to Stay Alive’. (1998). Chicago Tribune, 16 April. Available at: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-04-16-9804170096-story.html#:~:text=2%20BAY%20OF%20PIGS%20SURVIVORS%20TELL%20OF%20CANNIBALISM%20TO%20STAY%20ALIVE,-CHICAGO%20TRIBUNE&text=Desperate%20to%20survive%2016%20days,of%20Pigs%20invasion%20of%20Cuba
United States. Department of State. (n.d.). The Bay of Pigs Invasion and its Aftermath, April 1961–October 1962. Available at: https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/bay-of-pigs
White, M. (2011). ‘Bay of Pigs invasion: Kennedy’s Cuban catastrophe’, BBC History Extra, May. Available at: https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/bay-of-pigs-invasion-kennedys-cuban-catastrophe/

TRANSCRIPT

This week, we look at Vietnamese ‘boat people’ and the Boliano 52 – a group of refugees left without aid in the South China Sea.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded prior to the announcement in December 2021 of an amendment to the Nationality and Borders Bill to provide the RNLI with legal protection in the case of rescuing refugees at sea. However, we feel the sentiments expressed in this episode surrounding the bill still merit inclusion.

CREDITS

Written, hosted and produced by Alix Penn and Carmella Lowkis.

Theme music by Daniel Wackett. Find him on Twitter @ds_wack and Soundcloud as Daniel Wackett.

Logo by Riley. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @tallestfriend.

Casting Lots is part of the Morbid Audio Podcast Network. Network sting by Mikaela Moody. Find her on Bandcamp as mikaelamoody1.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Associated Press. (2008). ‘Dominican migrant: We ate flesh to survive’, NBC News, 4 November. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27531105
Associated Press. (2008). Migrants Turn to Cannibalism to Survive. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh8cwHd-WtM&ab_channel=AssociatedPress
BBC Newsnight. (2015). Left at sea, reduced to cannibalism – Newsnight. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ2jMXvr96c&ab_channel=BBCNewsnight
Constantine, N. (2018). A History of Cannibalism. London: Arcturus Publishing. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZFFyDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT90
Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2015). ‘Boat people refugees’, in Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/boat-people-refugees
Fritsch, J. (1989). ‘Balian Guilty in Viet Boat Case, to Get Reprimand’, Los Angeles Times, 24 February. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-24-mn-266-story.html
Fritsch, J. (1989). ‘‘I Killed to Help the Living’ : Cannibal or Savior: Viet Refugee Says He Was Both’, Los Angeles Times, 24 February. Available at: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-24-mn-267-story.html
Gourevitch, P. (2015). ‘Search and Rescue’, New Yorker, 26 April. Available at: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/05/04/search-and-rescue
‘Government minister ‘hopes’ cannibalism at sea no longer needed thanks to new technology’. (2021). Sky News, 22 June. Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/government-minister-hopes-cannibalism-at-sea-no-longer-needed-thanks-to-new-technology-12339438
Kamm, H. (1981). ‘A Vietnamese Orphan Tells of Killings and Cannibalism in 52-Day Sea Escare’, New York Times, 13 August. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/13/world/a-vietnamese-orphan-tells-of-killings-and-cannibalism-in-52-day-sea-escare.html
KQED. (2008). Vietnamese American Journey: Bolinao 52. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqqIIOSTj2U&ab_channel=KQED
Liu, S. (2015). ‘Duc Nguyen, Boat Person Refugee and Documentary Filmmaker of Bolinao 52 (2007) and Stateless (2015)’, Break the Silence. Available at: https://soundcloud.com/breakthesilence_uci/ducs-interview-copy
Los Angeles Times. (1988). ‘Cannibalism on the High Seas Vietnamese Watched the Killing Begin With His Friend, Cousin’, Orlando Sentinel, 13 November. Available at: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-11-13-0080230074-story.html
Lung, H. (2006). Lost Fighting Arts of Vietnam. New York, NY: Citadel Press. Available at: https://archive.org/stream/lost_fighting_arts_of_vietnam/lost_fighting_arts_of_vietnam_djvu.txt
McKenzie, S. (2000). ‘Vietnam’s boat people: 25 years of fears, hopes and dreams’, CNN. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20030405185711/http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/vietnam/story/boat.people/
Nguyen Mang, T. (2021). Vietnamese Boat People. Available at: https://www.vietnameseboatpeople.org/
‘Officer’s action probed.’ (1988). New Castle News, 11 August, p. 1. Available at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-castle-news-aug-11-1988-p-1/
Quang, T. et al. (2009). ‘Boat People ‘Ate Their Relatives’’, Radio Free Asia, 11 May. Available at: https://www.rfa.org/english/women/food-05112009123100.html
Richburg, K.B. (1988). ‘Vietnamese Refugees Report Cannibalism on Voyage’, Washington Post, 10 August. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1988/08/10/vietnamese-refugees-report-cannibalism-on-voyage/a914a8c6-b50a-434c-adda-ac93dff1eef2/
Right Here in My Pocket. (n.d.). Bolinao 52 Story. Available at: https://www.rhimp.com/bolinao52/story.html
Right Here in My Pocket. (2007). Bolinao 52 Trailer. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcUFFaWoydQ&ab_channel=RightHereinMyPocket
Suarez, M. (1989). ‘U.S. Captain Convicted In Cannibalism Case, Given Reprimand’, AP News, 24 February. Available at: https://apnews.com/article/3f237384445ccad8fd5da3d045e637cc
Swain, J. (1988). ‘Cannibalism: the chilling secret of lost boat people’, Sunday Times, 20 November. Available at: http://www.jonswain.org/articles/articles/articles/article1.html
‘Vietnamese boat people’. (2021). Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_boat_people
‘Vietnamese boat people under investigation for cannibalism’. (1988). UPI, 9 August. Available at: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/08/09/Vietnamese-boat-people-under-investigation-for-cannibalism/5712587102400/
‘Vietnamese refugees forced to cannibalism for survival’. (1987). UPI, 12 August. Available at: https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/08/12/Vietnamese-refugees-forced-to-cannibalism-for-survival/8126555739200/

TRANSCRIPT

Casting Lots: A Survival Cannibalism Podcast

Tag 20th century

S3 E11. SEA PART III – The Bay of Pigs

S3 E9. SEA PART I – The Bolinao 52