![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rankexploits.com\/musings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/J-Harry-Tiernan-I-and-Fidel-1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAccording to the family story, my (not remotely Cuban) great-grandfather known in the family as “The Judge” had often discussed Cuban with his daughter-in-law Lucia, Lucia’s many sisters and their mother. Lucia was my grandmother; her maternal cousins the Auza’s lived in and around Santiago de Cuba. The conversations with the women sparked his curiosity; he decided to take a trip. He (or likely his daughter-in-law Jean) booked a passage on a cruise ship. What fun!<\/p>\n
Coincidentally, his ship was — according to family lore– the first to dock in Cuba after Castro took over. Evidently, Castro decided to turn the arrival into a press event and greeted the ship. So, on the ship Fidel went, reporters and camera men in tow. <\/p>\n
Some how or another this photo was taken. Our theory is that all the passengers where shlepped by the table, the photographer took a snap and then they were shlepped to the side while the next set of passengers got their photo’s taken. That’s the theory anyway. But yes, that is<\/i> Fidel in the photo. No, J. Harry Tiernan, aka “The Judge” was not any sort of actual acquaintance. <\/p>\n
My siblings are jealous I scored this photo. That’s another story.<\/p>\n
Open thread. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We need a new thread. It occurred to me I should have told the story of this family picture when the death was announced. Well, better late than never. According to the family story, my (not remotely Cuban) great-grandfather known in the family as “The Judge” had often discussed Cuban with his daughter-in-law Lucia, Lucia’s … Continue reading Fidel and ‘The Judge’<\/span>