On the 65th anniversary of the founding of Cuba’s iconic Eastern Army, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, has issued a heartfelt commemorative message celebrating the armed corps’ decades of service, revolutionary legacy, and ongoing commitment to defending the island’s socialist project.
The Eastern Army was formally established on April 21, 1961 — just two days after Cuba’s landmark victory over foreign-backed incursion at the Bay of Pigs, a moment that marked the first major defeat of U.S. imperial ambitions in Latin America. In his greeting, Raúl Castro recalled the urgent, defining order issued by then-Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz at the corps’ founding: “If we save the East, we save the Revolution!” The phrase underscores the Eastern region’s outsized historical and geographic strategic importance to Cuba’s revolutionary project, a priority that has shaped the army’s mission from its earliest days.
Over its 65-year history, the Eastern Army — affectionately known by the nickname the “Lord Army” for its stature and reputation — has built its legacy far beyond traditional military operations. Raúl Castro emphasized that the corps’ standing stems not only from its military strength, but from its unwavering resistance to repeated enemy provocations and acts of aggression, as well as its long record of self-sacrifice in internationalist solidarity missions across the globe.
A core contribution of the Eastern Army highlighted in the message is its role in advancing and implementing Cuba’s core strategic doctrine of the “War of all the People” — a framework that Raúl Castro noted remains particularly critical today, as the island faces persistent external threats to its socialist sovereignty.
Beyond national defense, the Eastern Army has long been integrated into civilian support efforts across Cuba. Raúl Castro pointed to the still-raw public memory of the corps’ rapid deployment for search, rescue, and relief work in the wake of devastating Hurricane Melissa, followed by months of post-storm recovery work. This commitment to serving the Cuban people in times of crisis, he noted, is a core thread running through the entire history of the institution, and has earned the enduring gratitude of the Cuban public.
In closing his message, Raúl Castro called for solemn tribute to the service members who have lost their lives in the line of duty, arguing that ongoing respect for fallen heroes reinforces the Eastern Army’s unshakable commitment to defeating any future act of enemy aggression. He extended formal congratulations to the corps’ founding members and all currently serving combatants for their service and achievements over 65 years, ending with a warm personal embrace to all members of the Eastern Army.