Washington Post June 23, 2005 Pg. 7 Cubans Bar Kids From Baseball With Marines - Cuban authorities took baseball bats, balls and gloves away from Cuban youths, including human rights activists, to keep them from playing with U.S. officials in Havana, the State Department said. When the Americans, who one official said were chiefly Marines who guard the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, tried to use their own equipment to play, the authorities stopped the Cuban youths from entering the field. "This is a normal and a good thing, I think, to have interactions with locals, to help support democracy and human rights activists," said State Department spokesman Adam Ereli. "The Cuban government didn't think so, however. "It says a lot about . . . the paranoia and insularity of the regime that it can't tolerate young kids playing baseball with Americans."

Carole J.  Schmidt (carolejschmidt@yahoo.com) I am looking for Marines and friends who were stationed with our daughter, Melissa Schmidt. She was with the embassy in Nassau, Bahamas 11/90 thru 3/92 and Havana, Cuba 3/92-3/93. She was killed in the line of duty as an officer of the Minneapolis Police Dept. Looking for any pictures you may have or info on your tour together. Thank you!