Che
"Here comes a soldier of America!"

Where we left Che in part II: In our tale thus far, native Argentinean Dr. Ernesto "Che" Guevara left Mexican soil, where he had lived for more than two years, on November 25, 1956 from Port Tuxpan aboard the yacht, Granma, as part of the small expeditionary force organized by Fidel Castro.
Che Guevara′s first contact with Cuba was on December 2nd, 1956 when he landed on Las Coloradas Beach together with the 81 other members of the expedition under the leadership of Fidel Castro.

Several years later, when recalling that moment, Che said:
"We landed with great haste, just carrying what was essential. We were entering the marsh when we were attacked by the enemy air force. Naturally, once we were in the mangrove swamp, we were neither seen nor harassed by the air force, but the dictatorship′s army was already on our trail."
Three days later, Che and his comrades received their baptism of fire when the rebel troops were surprised while resting in a small sugarcane plantation at Alegría de Pío.
"At four o′clock that afternoon, without prior warning or at the least suspecting it, the first shot sounded, followed by a symphony of lead that hovered above heads still unaccustomed to that virile sport. A comrade fell and I personally had the disagreeable impression of receiving in my flesh the simultaneous baptism of fire and blood."
At that first volley, Che - who came with the expedition as a physician - had to make what would prove to be a significant decision: he was faced with the dilemma of thinking like a doctor or like a combatant.