These are my grandparents with their adorable twins – my aunt and my father. This family portrait was taken in Cuba during the Batista years, circa 1947. My aunt and my father where seven years old when this photo was taken. Five years later, they left Cuba to resettle in Miami, so they would be closer to other family members that had already begun building lives in the US. Thankfully, they were not exiles, but many of their dear friends and family would become refugees of the land they left behind. My grandfather and my father were both members of the “Brigade2506,” the paramilitary group that worked closely with the CIA to overthrow the Castro regime in the failed invasion known as the Bay of Pigs. My family never returned to Cuba. They were some of the lucky ones; they were able to leave with heirlooms and items such as this priceless photo. Unfortunately, my mother’s family were not so lucky, but that’s another story and another picture. In the end, my grandparents adjusted to the new life in the US. They learned English, worked hard, and were able to enjoy what their new home in South Florida had to offer. My aunt and my father also adjusted well. My aunt became a flight attendant in the 1960s, and then chose to go back to school in 1987 to study criminology. She made her career in law enforcement. My dad graduated high school and worked his whole life in the garment industry. All four became proud US citizens and both my aunt and father married and had children, known as the first generation of Cuban Americans. ~shared by @pastlovefound