Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The Invasion of Grenada

Contributed by Doug Cassidy
 
 
The Invasion of Grenada, also called Operation Urgent Fury, was led by the United States in order to throw out a revolutionary government.  The United States brought back a constitutional government.  Though looked down upon by the world because of the invasion, Grenada requested this assistance.  The government began creating the Point Salines International Airport thanks to Britain, Cuba, Libya, Algeria and many other countries.  The United States fought this because they saw it as an attempt to gain arms from Cuba and Soviet Russia.  Every night the power was shut off on the island forcing those on the island to live by candlelight because the government wanted to build this in secret.  If discovered, the government feared an American attack would come.  Despite many chances to stop their actions and many warnings, they continued on with their construction of the airport. 

The invasion began on October 25, 1983, two days after the bombing of American Marine barracks in Beirut.  The goal of the invasion was to oust the foreign nations from Grenada and force back a sense of diplomacy and a constitutional government.  After only a few weeks of constant siege by the American Special Forces, including the Army Delta Force, Navy Seals, Ranger Battalions and the 82nd Airborne, Jamaican forces and the Regional Security System (RSS), the conflict was finally over.  Governor-General Paul Scoon was placed into power until democratic elections could be help in 1984.

Interview:
Below is an interview with Dr. Brian J. Cassidy on his experiences while in Grenada studying medicine.  He reflects on his time while in the turmoil and shares his story.

Q: How old were you when you went to Grenada for medical school?
A:"23"
 
Q:Did you know about the problems going on down there before arriving?
A:“Your grandma would never have let me go had I known of any problems there”

Q:What was the most unforgettable thing you ever saw?
A:“The intercontinental ballistic missiles on the main road outside my apartment where they were offloaded from the waterfront port and shipped to the Port Salines Airport.”

Q:How did living in the middle of history affect your daily life?
A:“Just went about school.  You had to be cautious because the Cubans were armed and we were not.”
 
Q:Were there ever any rumors being spread around while there?
A:“YES! Tons!  We knew they were building a military airport.  Questions were asked such as ‘What does a poor island with a population of 91,000 need with a 9,000 foot runway (3000 feet longer than the average American airport)?’ It was designed to take in the AN-12, military transport aircraft and the AN-22 which was a strategic airlifter which was only used by the Soviet Air Force.”

Q:I heard that the Grenadians would shut off the power every night in order to build the secret airport.  How did this affect your studying habits?
A:“Every night you had to be prepared for candlelight and battery power”

Q:Did you ever see things that scared you?
A:“Yes 6 intercontinental missiles on a truck bed and Cubans running around with AK-47s will scare the heck out of anyone!”

Q:Did you ever feel as if you were in danger living there?
A:“Yes you were always cautious when walking around the island.”

Q:After graduating and coming back to the United States, did you ever think back to what you had seen in Grenada?
A:“Yes, I still think about it all the time.”

Q:Did you ever investigate as to what went on after you left?
A:“Only the news of the invasion did I hear about, thus confirming my suspicions about what was going on.  It finally became front page news after 2 years in the dark.”

Q:When the invasion occurred, did you know anyone there?
A:“Yes one of my closest Doctor friends to this day.  He was asked to go to meet with President Reagan in the Oval Office to thank the president for his support of the students.”

Q:Were there any “off limits” areas on the island?
A:“Could not go anywhere near the airport or near the town when the Russian ships arrived.”

Q:Were you ever told of what was happening in secret on the island?
A:“Yes we were told they were building a humongous runway.  Mostly rumors, never any hard facts.”

Q:Have you gone back since?
A:“Not yet, but I will be when Greg (my brother) starts medical school in late August.”





The Port Salines Airport - Present Day





St. George's University School of Medicine - Present Day


For additional information on the Invasion of Grenada, see:
"The Invasion of Grenada." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/reagan-grenada/.

"Invasion of Grenada: Operation Urgent Fury." Military.com Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.military.com/Resources/HistorySubmittedFileView?file=history_grenada.htm.
 
Zunes, Stephen. "The US Invasion of Grenada." The US Invasion of Grenada:. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/155/25966.html.

Edmonds, Kevin. "A Bitter Anniversary: Remembering the Invasion of Grenada | North American Congress on Latin America." North American Congress on Latin America. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. https://nacla.org/blog/2012/10/22/bitter-anniversary-remembering-invasion-grenada.

"The U.S. Invasion of Grenada." The U.S. Invasion of Grenada. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2047.html.
 




1 comment:

  1. Interesting to read about this as you rarely hear about this chapter in American history. Nice work Doug!

    ReplyDelete