Operation Urgent Fury-Grenada war
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_GrenadaThe invasion of the island nation of Grenada by the United States of America and several other nations in response to a coup d’état by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard. From October 25, 1983, the United States, Barbados, Jamaica and members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States landed ships on Grenada, defeated Grenadian and Cuban resistance and overthrew Coard's government. October 25 is a national holiday of Grenada, called Thanksgiving Day, to commemorate this event.
On March 13, 1979, a bloodless coup d’état, led by New Jewel Movement leader Maurice Bishop, toppled the government of Eric Gairy to establish a Marxist-Leninist government that quickly aligned itself with the Soviet Union and Cuba. Under Bishop, Grenada began a military build-up, of significant proportions for a country that had previously maintained a small army. The government also began constructing an international airport with the help of Cuba. U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan pointed to this airport and several other sites as evidence of the potential threat posed by Grenada towards the United States. The U.S. government accused Grenada of constructing facilities to aid a Soviet-Cuban military build-up in the Caribbean, and to assist Soviet and Cuban transports in transporting weapons to Central American insurgents. However, Bishop’s government claimed that the airport was built to accommodate commercial aircraft carrying tourists.
On October 13, 1983, a faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard seized power in turn from Bishop; Coard's forces subsequently executed Bishop in spite of mass protests in Bishop’s favor. The Governor-General of Grenada, Paul Scoon, was placed under house arrest.
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) appealed to the United States, Barbados, and Jamaica for assistance. According to Mythu Sivapalan of the New York Times (October 29, 1983), this formal appeal was at the behest of the U.S. government, which had decided to take military action against Coard's regime. U.S. officials cited the coup and general political instability in a country near its own borders, as well as the presence of American medical students at St. George's University on Grenada, as reasons for military action. Sivapalan also claimed that the latter reason was cited in order to gain public support, rather than as a legitimate reason for invasion, since fewer than 600 of the 1,000 non-Grenadian civilians on the island were from the U.S.
InvasionThe invasion, which commenced at 05:00 on October 25, was the first major operation conducted by the U.S. military since the Vietnam War. Fighting continued for several days and the total number of American troops reached some 7,000 along with 300 troops from the OECS. The invading forces encountered about 1,500 Grenadian soldiers and about 600 Cubans, most of whom were military engineers. There is no evidence that military personnel from other communist countries were on Grenada.
Official U.S. sources state that the defenders were well-prepared, well-positioned and put up stubborn resistance, to the extent that the U.S. called in two battalions of reinforcements on the evening of October 26. However, the total naval and air superiority of the invading forces — including helicopter gunships and naval gunfire support — proved to be significant advantages.
U.S. forces suffered 19 fatalities and 116 injuries.[5] Grenada suffered 45 military and at least 24 civilian deaths, along with 358 soldiers wounded. Cuba had 25 killed in action, with 59 wounded and 638 taken prisoner.
In mid-December, after a new government was appointed by the Governor-General, the U.S. forces withdrew.
Although the U.S. military proved its post-Vietnam ability to quickly respond to a perceived threat, subsequent analysis by the U.S. Department of Defense showed a need for improved communications and coordination between the different branches of the Armed Forces. Some of these recommendations resulted in the formation of the United States Special Operations Command in 1987.
The USS Independence led the invasion.
Marines from the 22nd
amphibious Unit.
Paratrooper guards downed U.S. helicopter.
U.S. troops deploying to hunt for Cuban holdouts in the jungle.
U.S. airborne troops fire artillery into Cuban
positions in hills of Grenada.
Ruins of the mental hospital wing bombed by U.S.
aircraft during the invasion.
Four-star General Jack Vessey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Grenada.
The captured Point Salines runway with smoke-shrouded hills.
U.S. paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division.
Army column that captured the Point Salines runway.
Last edited by Ghelp; 05-08-2007 at 10:28 AM. Reason: re-hosting
U.S. Black Hawk helicopter lands near a church.
An abandoned Cuban armored personnel carrier.
A G.I.'s tent at Point Salines with plaintive sign.
U.S. soldiers at mass grave where
Maurice Bishop was reportedly buried.
U.S. guard at the Cuban
Embassy in Grenada.
U.S. soldiers occupy
Grenville police station.
Paratroopers taking a rest.
A sign advertising victory: "Communism Stops Here"
Last edited by Ghelp; 05-08-2007 at 10:40 AM. Reason: re-hosting
You should re-host all of these pics mate.
http://imageshack.us/
Is that a Seaknight???
Thanks.Are they still visible? Or is it just a few of them.I still have a few more to post.Originally Posted by PT
Rules
Some are loading quickly, the others take awhile. Quickly you re-host them the better.15. Do not hotlink images, use a host, imageshack, photobucket etc.
U.S troops capturing Grenadian detainees.
Captured Cuban engineers.
Captured detainees.
Captured Cubans who disobeyed disobeyed Castro's orders to "fight unto death."Many of the Cubans captured had been engineers building a International Airport.
Grenadian prisoners.
Rescued U.S students going home.
Captured Cuban anti-aircraft gun.
Captured Cuban weapons.
Captured weapons stocks.
US soldiers among Grenadians.
awesome pictures! i like the lack of discipline (troops w/o shirts on, chin staps unbuckled , flak vests undone) of our troops had then compared to now. i guess they had that "vietnam frame of mind". i like seeing pics of our guys back in the 80's
Nice photos. Saw a documentary on this a couple of days ago. thanks for posting.
very nice find !
CASUALTY FIGURES:
U.S.-- 19 dead (officially). Grenada-- 49 dead and several hundred wounded.
Cuba-- 29 dead and over a hundred wounded.
US soldier with Grenadians.
US and Allies at a camp site in Grenada.
US troops on the move.
Fidel Castro meets with Cuban war wounded.
Um...they are on base/camp
The US claimed that the airfield being built by the Cubans could be used to launch air attacks on the US if the Cold war ever went hot.No Eastern Bloc soldiers where found on the Island.
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