Combat· Spanish-American War
Battle of Guantanamo Bay
In June 1898, the U.S. Navy needed a protected harbor on the Cuban coast where its ships could shelter and refuel during the war with Spain. Guantánamo Bay was chosen as that advance base. A Marine battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Huntington landed and set up camp on a hill above the beach, named Camp McCalla. They were the first American troops to land and hold ground in Cuba. Spanish forces hid in the thick brush around the camp and attacked again and again, mostly at night, firing from cover that made them hard to see. The Marines dug trenches under fire, held their hill through several days of constant attacks, and were helped by Cuban allies who knew the land. Holding this position gave the Navy the safe harbor it needed for the rest of the campaign.
Podcast episodes on Spanish-American War
Record no. 80