Grenada 1983: How the U.S. Military Got its Mojo Back | Small Wars Journal

34 years ago today, I was a young (19yo) Infantry Paratrooper and a Platoon Radio telephone Operator (RTO) who was airlanded in the Windward Islands on the tropical island of Grenada.

It was here, this paratrooper had his first experiance with actual combat operations. Being a RTO, I was scared crapless as visons of my potentially shorten life expectancy ran through my head.

I several hairy situations that tested my abilities and the memories stay with me today, but otherwise I came out physically unscathed.

The "Grenada Raiders" overwhelmed the opposition,secured the "endagered" American medical students, and laid the foundation for the establishment of a democratic government.

I was fortunate to serve with some of the finest men in that Army and am proud to say "Airborne".

With a few exceptions (namely the screw-up which killed 4 SEALS), Urgent Fury was a fine military operation. U.S. casualties were light with 19 KIA. Considering it was a last minute operation (although the contingency plans had been in the works for years), the U.S. military did a great job.

However, the article fails to mention the 75th Rangers who secured the Point Salines airport in a classic Ranger mission and they rescued the medical school students from the True Blue campus.

Good post!