Grenada Parliament holds special session to honor Reagan

AP ^ | 6.16.04

[ambrose]

Published Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Grenada Parliament Honors Ronald Reagan

By LOREN BROWN

Associated Press Writer

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada

Grenada's Parliament held a special session Wednesday to honor Ronald Reagan for ordering the 1983 U.S. invasion that followed a bloody coup on the Caribbean island.

Prime Minister Keith Mitchell was among the legislators lauding the former president, who died June 5 at age 93. Lawmakers approved a motion saying Reagan played a significant role in restoring peace and democracy.

The Caribbean island became a point of contention in the Cold War after Maurice Bishop led a bloodless coup and installed a Marxist government in 1979.

In October 1983, a radical faction of the government staged a coup, and a firing squad killed Bishop and 10 supporters.

"At the initiative of former Governor General Sir Paul Scoon and several Caribbean leaders, a request was made to President Reagan for urgent military intervention in Grenada to restore peace and stability," Mitchell said. "President Reagan responded positively and decisively to the request and intervened militarily."

Six days after Bishop's killing, Reagan ordered the invasion and U.S. troops led a force that included soldiers from nearby islands.

Reagan said the purpose was to restore order and protect American interests, particularly the lives of hundreds of American medical students.

Reagan also ordered the invasion because his administration suspected Grenada's airport was going to become a joint Cuban-Soviet base. Cuba insisted it was helping build the airport for civilian uses only.

Some details from the 1983 invasion, including the number of Grenadians killed, remain unclear. The U.S. government says 45 Grenadians, 24 Cubans and 19 U.S. troops were killed.

Bishop's body remains missing, as do those of more than a dozen other coup victims.

Wednesday's special session followed a Tuesday church service at which about 100 people, including U.S. Ambassador Nadia Tongur, honored Reagan.

[ambrose]

Ever see Clint Eastwood's "Heartbreak Ridge"?

[Grenada]

That seems appropriate.

[Reagan Man]

Oh yeah! Good movie.

[TexasTransplant]

Ever see Clint Eastwood's "Heartbreak Ridge"?

I have been smoking Large Cigars ever since watching it, no offense to the Commissioned among us, but in the late seventies that Supply guy was a fairly accurate portrayal of some that I worked with (isn't he running for the Senate or somthing?), and the enlisted yeah we were some misfits but when the crap hit the fan, we knew each other so well, communication was eye contact, good thing because most of the time our breath was deadly.

[Freee-dame]

bump

[endthematrix]

Or when they used the calling card to call in air support...I'm trying to pull the declassified SpecOp report of that. True story!

[TexasTransplant]

My true story isn't that unbelievable (but I'm sure yours is true) we were in New Orleans (actually across the River at Belle Chasse) the draw bridge had just come down and we were enroute to NAS NOLA, I was driving , we had an eclectic ensombo onboard, the passenger in the passenger seat was a Senior Chief Seal type, I was a kid, Chief was about 50 something and I thought he was so OLD, he was working with us as a DEA rep, after about 30 minutes we were underway, and this little Toyota is weaving in and out of Traffic, the jerk is not making any headway just moving from lane to lane, back and forth, as if something will happen he will be in front and be able to gain some kind of advantage by being two places at one time, (In New Orleans you learn to spot "People of Privilege" this guy reeked of it, Congressman or Mayors son or something), his passenger had her feet hanging out the passenger window, he cuts us off, the people next to us, the people in front of us etc.etc. etc. we get up the road a ways and he cuts us off again, Senior gets out and calmly walks up reaches in the Drivers Window, breaks off the turn signal and tells the clown "you weren't using it any way" walks back gets in tosses the turn signal arm on my dashboard and we drive around this stunned driver and the only thing ol Chief says to us is " SOB has Piss Poor Taste in Women"

We never messed with him at all, He was the real deal.

[endthematrix]

It is reputed that the SEAL team lost its primary radio to enemy fire upon insert, so they were not able to communicate with the command staff on the USS Guam. At one point, they utilized the telephone inside the mansion to place a call back to Fort Bragg, NC, asking the Watch Officer to contact the USS Guam and request fire support. However, the veracity of this account is not completely certain. In any event, Adm. Metcalf felt the situation serious enough to send two USMC AH-1 Cobra gun ships to the mansion to provide fire support. The first Cobra, piloted by Marine Capt. Tim Howard, was crippled and crash-landed in a soccer field.

URGENT FURY at NavySeals.com

[TexasTransplant]

NOW THAT IS A STORY!
How Cool, How really really cool, and only an American would do something like that. Salute US Navy Seals wherever you may be, "This Bud is for you"

another story,
In the 80's when Reagan was doing the dog and pony or basically showing Gorbachav America, they sent Soviet Admirals and Generals out to observe us, at the time I was serving aboard either Kitty Hawk or Ranger (Forget which, I was on both) and this one Soviet Officer was just amazed and really thought we were pulling his leg, when he saw 19 year old Sailors towing, fueling, arming and maintaining 40 to 60 Million dollar Aircraft as a matter of course, he couldn't believe it, he kept trying to be sneaky and get back to the flight deck to "Catch us".

Some stuff just makes ya stick your chest out, (whew can't hold my breath like I used to)