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Erneido A. Oliva, 2nd in command of the Brigade 2506 during the Bay of Pigs dead at 86
http://www.ruckfuneral.com/obituary/erneido-oliva
Major General Erneido A. Oliva
A soldier’s soldier and leader of men, Major General (DCNG, retired) Erneido Andrés Oliva, passed away after a brief illness on January 30, 2020, at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was 87 years old. His life exemplified three core principles, love of family, military service, and an unquenching desire to return democracy and freedom to his Cuban homeland.
Born in Aguacate, Cuba, Oliva attended the Cuban Military Academy, was honored by being named commander of the cadets and graduated in 1954. At the age of 28, Oliva distinguished himself as the second in command of the Assault Brigade 2506 during the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961. He led the brigadistas against overwhelming odds, and always remembered with great pride the valor, determination and selfless sacrifice that his men exhibited in the heat of battle. After spending 20 months in Castro’s prisons, he was ransomed to the United States with other members of the Brigade. On December 29, 1962, Oliva addressed thousands of Brigade veterans and their families who had gathered for a ceremony at the Orange Bowl in Miami and presented President John F. Kennedy with the Brigade flag.
Oliva, like many in the Brigade, joined the U.S. Army shortly after arriving in the United States. Several years later, he was elected to be one of the leaders of the Representación Cubana del Exilio (RECE). His activities at RECE and with other civilian organizations enabled him to fight communism on multiple levels. Oliva rejoined the U.S. Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.
In 1970 he joined the District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG). He was promoted to Brigadier General of the line in 1984, and among his many duties, he commanded a brigade that supported the Southern European Task Force (SETAF). In July 1987, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the position of Deputy Commanding General of the D.C. Army National Guard. He was promoted to Major General in December 1992.
Oliva’s military honors included the U.S. Army Legion of Merit, the Army Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the National Guard Distinguished Service Medal and the National Guard Meritorious Service Medal. He graduated from the Army War College, the Army Command and General Staff College and received a Master’s Degree from American University in Washington DC.
After retiring from the military, Oliva founded the Cuban American Military Council (CAMCO) in 1996 with membership from individuals who had served in Cuba’s Constitutional Army, Cuba’s Revolutionary Army, the Brigade 2506, and the U.S. Armed Forces. He had the unique distinction of being a second lieutenant in all four of those armies. CAMCO’s mission was to peacefully bring freedom to the Cuban people through cooperation with the Cuban military.
General Oliva is survived by his wife of 61 years, Graciela, his children Maria Oliva-Hemker, a physician, Antonio Oliva, an aerospace engineer, a sister and two grandsons.
Arrangements are being made for burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Major General Erneido A. Oliva
A soldier’s soldier and leader of men, Major General (DCNG, retired) Erneido Andrés Oliva, passed away after a brief illness on January 30, 2020, at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He was 87 years old. His life exemplified three core principles, love of family, military service, and an unquenching desire to return democracy and freedom to his Cuban homeland.
Born in Aguacate, Cuba, Oliva attended the Cuban Military Academy, was honored by being named commander of the cadets and graduated in 1954. At the age of 28, Oliva distinguished himself as the second in command of the Assault Brigade 2506 during the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961. He led the brigadistas against overwhelming odds, and always remembered with great pride the valor, determination and selfless sacrifice that his men exhibited in the heat of battle. After spending 20 months in Castro’s prisons, he was ransomed to the United States with other members of the Brigade. On December 29, 1962, Oliva addressed thousands of Brigade veterans and their families who had gathered for a ceremony at the Orange Bowl in Miami and presented President John F. Kennedy with the Brigade flag.
Oliva, like many in the Brigade, joined the U.S. Army shortly after arriving in the United States. Several years later, he was elected to be one of the leaders of the Representación Cubana del Exilio (RECE). His activities at RECE and with other civilian organizations enabled him to fight communism on multiple levels. Oliva rejoined the U.S. Army as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division.
In 1970 he joined the District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG). He was promoted to Brigadier General of the line in 1984, and among his many duties, he commanded a brigade that supported the Southern European Task Force (SETAF). In July 1987, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the position of Deputy Commanding General of the D.C. Army National Guard. He was promoted to Major General in December 1992.
Oliva’s military honors included the U.S. Army Legion of Merit, the Army Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the National Guard Distinguished Service Medal and the National Guard Meritorious Service Medal. He graduated from the Army War College, the Army Command and General Staff College and received a Master’s Degree from American University in Washington DC.
After retiring from the military, Oliva founded the Cuban American Military Council (CAMCO) in 1996 with membership from individuals who had served in Cuba’s Constitutional Army, Cuba’s Revolutionary Army, the Brigade 2506, and the U.S. Armed Forces. He had the unique distinction of being a second lieutenant in all four of those armies. CAMCO’s mission was to peacefully bring freedom to the Cuban people through cooperation with the Cuban military.
General Oliva is survived by his wife of 61 years, Graciela, his children Maria Oliva-Hemker, a physician, Antonio Oliva, an aerospace engineer, a sister and two grandsons.
Arrangements are being made for burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Bay of Pigs...
