My Brave Haitian Family

Before and After Father's Execution

I am third oldest of 15 siblings. We were a happy middle class family enjoying life in the city of Hinche, Haiti. Father was a Soldier in the Haitian Army and a part-time Cultivator. A few years later, in 1962, Father was promoted to an officer. Taking advantage of the promotion he sent us, the three oldest siblings, to school in the capital of Port-Au-Prince. Through the years Father visited us as often as he could, but his visit in April 1967 changed our lives forever. He was sent back home, then he traveled to the capital to bring us the bad news that he had been discharged from the military without immediate reason. In late May he was arrested with 18 other officers. A Court-Marshall Panel was formed. They had been accused of: Coup-d'etat, mutiny and attempted assassination of the President of the Republic. They were found guilty, and were stripped of their ranks, condemned and sentenced to death through firing squad. Meanwhile, we had to go into hiding from place to place since the dictators military was hunting my family who was divided and lived in different towns. All sixteen of us had to reunite to take asylum.