Advanced American History
Grenada Invasion
April 30, 2014
Grenada is a small Caribbean Island that for many years was controlled by partly by the Soviet Union and partly by Cuba. The island had fallen into a large political controversy and fighting had broke out between the Soviets, the native Grenadian population, and Cuba. A small group of American doctors and journalists had traveled to the True Blue Medical Facility to aid the Grenada natives. The facility was taken over by Cuban soldiers and the U.S launched an invasion of the island called Operation Urgent Fury.
Only 7,600 American troops were sent to Grenada. They were a mix of U.S Rangers and Airborne divisions, Marines, Delta Force, and Navy Seals. The navy would also patrol and heavily fire on the shores of Grenada before the invasion. On October 25, 1983 Ranger and Airborne troops landed a low level airborne assault on the northern part of the island in a location known as Point Salinas Airport. Marines and Navy Seals amphibiously invaded the southern end of the island. Casualties were low, only 19 American troops were killed while 24 American civilians were either wounded or killed. The invasion ended on the 15th of December. It was a quick victory for the American forces.
On the home front the invasion was seen as a negative action. Many believed that again that the U.S government had engaged in a spectacle that showed them no concern. Others said that the stranded American civilians should have been rescued by a small group of Navy Seals and the invasion should have never taken place. Yet, others argued that the invasion had sent Cuba the message that the Cold War was officially out of reach for them. At any rate the invasion did happen and the Soviet Union and Cuba lost power and control while the U.S gained it.
Ironically the Grenada conflict would be one of the smallest yet most highly honored conflicts ever seen in the U.S. Over five thousand medals were given for merit and heroism. Yet within months the conflict was forgotten. Clint Eastwood would direct a film named “Heartbreak Ridge” in the ninnies that was loosely based on a Marine division during the Grenada conflict. Besides that film very few accounts have been documented on the Grenada conflict.
www.globalpolicy.org/
www.pbs.org/
www.acig.org/
Grenada Invasion
April 30, 2014
Grenada is a small Caribbean Island that for many years was controlled by partly by the Soviet Union and partly by Cuba. The island had fallen into a large political controversy and fighting had broke out between the Soviets, the native Grenadian population, and Cuba. A small group of American doctors and journalists had traveled to the True Blue Medical Facility to aid the Grenada natives. The facility was taken over by Cuban soldiers and the U.S launched an invasion of the island called Operation Urgent Fury.
Only 7,600 American troops were sent to Grenada. They were a mix of U.S Rangers and Airborne divisions, Marines, Delta Force, and Navy Seals. The navy would also patrol and heavily fire on the shores of Grenada before the invasion. On October 25, 1983 Ranger and Airborne troops landed a low level airborne assault on the northern part of the island in a location known as Point Salinas Airport. Marines and Navy Seals amphibiously invaded the southern end of the island. Casualties were low, only 19 American troops were killed while 24 American civilians were either wounded or killed. The invasion ended on the 15th of December. It was a quick victory for the American forces.
On the home front the invasion was seen as a negative action. Many believed that again that the U.S government had engaged in a spectacle that showed them no concern. Others said that the stranded American civilians should have been rescued by a small group of Navy Seals and the invasion should have never taken place. Yet, others argued that the invasion had sent Cuba the message that the Cold War was officially out of reach for them. At any rate the invasion did happen and the Soviet Union and Cuba lost power and control while the U.S gained it.
Ironically the Grenada conflict would be one of the smallest yet most highly honored conflicts ever seen in the U.S. Over five thousand medals were given for merit and heroism. Yet within months the conflict was forgotten. Clint Eastwood would direct a film named “Heartbreak Ridge” in the ninnies that was loosely based on a Marine division during the Grenada conflict. Besides that film very few accounts have been documented on the Grenada conflict.
www.globalpolicy.org/
www.pbs.org/
www.acig.org/