Cuba Archive - Case 1229

Case ID: 1229

Title: N/A

First name: Clyde Benton

Last name: Hughes

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Pat

Name also reported as: Pat Hughes

Age: 37

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Year:1923

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:21 / Month:9 / Year:1960

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: 135 NE College, Denham Springs, Louisiana

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: United States

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Vicinity of Flores, El Peten

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: Guatemala

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: No

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Born 'Clyde Benton,' he had changed his name to Pat Hughes. Former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot working in Guatemala, presumably covertly and in support of the anti-Castro armed resistance in Cuba. It was later determined that his airplane (a B-25 bomber 9091z, Serial No. 44-86800) was reportedly shot down by the Guatemalan military when he approached the Flores airport unexpectedly and unable to communicate with the tower, low on fuel.
Hughes' death was shrouded in secrecy and when the family sent an emissary to Guatemala to obtain information and recover a second airplane belonging to Hughes, he was told the plane had been confiscated and that they should stop asking questions and leave immediately. Initially interred at Flores, El Peten, a sealed casket was returned to his family in March 1961, but no verification of the remains was conducted before its burial in Denham Springs, Louisiana.
U.S. government declassified documents describe him as a former Navy pilot and soldier of fortune who had been active in revolutionary activities with the Castro Rebel Army and then the Castro Armed Forces, but had turned to anti-Castro activities. He left behind a daughter.
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Nacido con el nombre de 'Clyde Benton', se lo había cambiado  por el de Pat Hughes. Exoficial y piloto de la Fuerza Aérea de los Estados Unidos que trabajaba en Guatemala, presuntamente de manera encubierta y en apoyo de la resistencia armada anticastrista en Cuba. Más tarde se determinó que su avión (un bombardero B-25 9091z, número de serie 44-86800) fue derribado por el ejército guatemalteco cuando se acercó inesperadamente al aeropuerto de Flores con poco combustible y no pudo comunicarse con la torre. La muerte de Hughes quedó envuelta en secreto y cuando la familia envió un emisario a Guatemala para obtener información y recuperar un segundo avión perteneciente a Hughes, le dijeron que el avión había sido confiscado y que debían dejar de hacer preguntas e irse de inmediato. Un ataúd sellado fue devuelto a su familia en marzo de 1961, pero no se realizó ninguna verificación de los restos antes de su entierro en Denham Springs, Louisiana. Los documentos desclasificados del gobierno de los Estados Unidos lo describen como un ex piloto de la Armada y soldado de fortuna que había estado activo en actividades revolucionarias con el Ejército Rebelde de Castro y luego con las Fuerzas Armadas de Castro, pero que más tarde se había dedicado a actividades anticastristas. Dejó una hija.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Combat: Fatality or Missing in Action

Occupations: - N/A - Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Clyde Benton Hughes