American Airlines Group Inc (AAL)

[Ralph Canine]

To a certain degree I am glad it happened or else I would not be here today. So looking at it in a positive way. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger type of view. I do not mind at all your asking. I welcome it actually and shows you are wise beyond your 27 years. You are willing to learn from others experience.

My dad was a mechanic in a town of about 50,000 at the time of Fidel coming to power. He owned his own shop and worked on anything from cars to diesel engines for farm equipment. Couple of years after Castro took power, they took the shop, the equipment and the tools. He said if this is the case then I want out and applied to leave the country. At the time the US had an exchange program with Cuba known as "The Freedom Flights". Political Prisoners were exchanged for humanitarian aid. So he applied. For doing so we were deemed "enemies of the state," my dad ended up as a political prisoner and served 3 years until we were allowed to leave. All our property was confiscated and we were put on a plane (Eastern Airlines if I remember correctly) and sent to Miami. My dad, mom, me(I was 6) and my younger brother who was 1. That's the quick version. I can tell you some stories! First meal in the US? Spam and Coke at an old Military Barracks next to Miami International Airport! I thought "this is the best meal ever" LOL