Operation Urgent Fury: An Often Forgotten Cold War Victory

Wars come and go. And the long march of history distances us from much of the past. However, for the loved ones left behind, the death of a soldier will never be forgotten. To commemorate Memorial Day, let’s review a little remembered conflict and why everybody should honor fallen soldiers.

Background

Grenada is a tiny island-nation located in the south eastern tip of the Caribbean Sea. With a population of around 100,000 people, the poor, mountainous island normally stays out of world affairs. It is better known as a tourist trap, than a strategic location for war¹.

At the tail end of the Cold War, however, Grenada was trapped between communism and freedom. The island gained its independence from the UK in 1974². Shortly after independence, the US and the UK officially recognized Grenada’s first ruling regime under Eric Gairy, a trade unionist.

Conflict Builds

Gairy’s reign was controversial from its inception and quickly lost public support³. Opposition formed around a communist backed coalition named the New Jewel Movement⁴. With Granada no longer a vassal state of the UK, the Cuban Communist party saw an opening to spread their influence in the region.

Just five years after independence, the New Jewel Movement staged a mostly bloodless coupe. In typical communist fashion, Maurice Bishop declared himself prime minister of the People’s Revolutionary Government⁵. With substantial aid from Cuba, Bishop began remaking the island’s struggling economy using Marxist principles.

Cult of Personality

Maurice Bishop was a charismatic leader and was very popular with the poor masses. Like all communist regimes, its intoxicating ideology blinded its supporters to the evils of communism. Additionally, he was in unique position as the leader of the only English speaking communist country. Combined with his race (black), he clearly posed a propaganda thread to America and its influence in the Caribbean. Even to this day, the BLM movement uses Bishop to spread its communist ideology⁶.

His threat to America is summarized best with a quote from Bishop himself, “We are in nobody’s backyard.”⁷ Of course, he was referring to America’s dominance over Latin America, the Caribbean, and South America, which is known as the Monroe Doctrine⁸. Established in 1823, the Monroe Doctrine has influenced America’s countless interventions in the region. As enduring as it is controversial, all would-be autocrats and communists ultimately have to deal with the US.

Big Words, Little Stick

Unfortunately for Bishop and his fellow communists, his words were wishful thinking. The U.S. Southern Command began plans for an invasion of Grenada as early as 1981, including exercises on Vieques Island (Puerto Rico)⁹. Bishop’s days were numbered, but the US needed the right timing for an invasion.

Ironically, the perfect excuse came on October 12th 1983 when the Grenadian military arrested Bishop. A week after his arrest, a conflict occurred when a mob tried to free Bishop from house arrest. It resulted in the assassination of Bishop and the installation of a military dictatorship on Oct 19th¹⁰. Six days later, America launched Operation Urgent Fury. With overwhelming force, the Grenadian resistance stood no chance.

Students and Airplanes

The original justification for war was the protection of 600 American medical students trapped on the island¹¹. As ridiculous as that sounds today, the official war propaganda held more sway back in 1983. The invasion occurred just two days after the horrific bombing in Beirut that claimed the lives of over 300 people, most of which were American Marines (220)¹².

Naturally, protecting students was not the actual reason for war. Not even close. The real reason was simple: real estate. But not what you’re thinking. The US didn’t need more beach front property. In fact, the US didn’t need Grenada at all. However, Cuba, Libya, Angola, and the USSR were very interested in Grenada due to its proximity to South America and Africa. In fact, Cuba helped construct the island’s first airstrip, which was capable of landing Russian MIGs¹³. Additionally, the US wanted the communists out of power.

Operation Urgent Fury

The fighting itself was quick. Although the invasion lacked tactical intelligence, the superior numbers and equipment put the defending Grenadians (1,200), Cubans (784), and Soviets (49) at an enormous disadvantage. The US Navy surrounded the tiny island while an airborne assault dropped troops across the nation. They launched from neighboring Barbados, the Eastern US and the USS Guam. In all, America used over 7,000 troops including the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 82nd Airborne Division, the 2nd Battalion, and 8th Marine¹⁴.

The US accomplished their primary objectives within a couple of days. The conflict itself lasted only a week and ended on Nov 1st with the capture of Carriacou island. It resulted in a complete victory for the US, the capture of over 600 Cuban fighters, and the destruction of a huge (relatively speaking) weapons cache. Thankfully, both sides had light losses: 19 Americans killed and 45 defending soldier died¹⁵. Unfortunately, 24 civilians died when the US Navy accidentally bombed a mental hospital while attempting to knock out anti-aircraft guns.

Template

One interesting side effect was this war was the template used for the operation. Instead of unilaterally invading the island, the US coordinated the invasion with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States¹⁶. Although troops from many nations joined the fight, let’s be honest, it was an American invasion. However, for political reasons, it looked better on paper to have the support other nations in the region.

Norman Schwarzkopf, the duty commander for this invasion, would use a similar coalition for the invasion of Iraq. When it comes to justifying war, a liberating coalition force sounds so much better than a unilateral invasion force. In reality, there isn’t a difference, but propaganda is just as important to the success of a war as the actual fighting.

Heroes

So many times people discuss war like it is a game or something abstract. In some regards, that is unavoidable. But it is important to remember that war is fought by people. The soldiers that fought in this conflict are heroes. How do I know? Because all soldiers are heroes. When most people hide, they run towards gun fire. And I think that’s what separates a soldier from a civilian.

So on this Memorial Day, I hope you remember all of the fallen heroes. America has been involved in wars and conflicts since the New World was discovered. In every case, young, brave men have sacrificed their lives for others. In some cases, they died for freedom. In other cases, they died for honor. But in all cases, they fought for brotherhood and solidarity with the men around them. Every soldier that I’ve ever known would fight and die if they could save their follow soldiers.

And even thought this conflict had very limited losses, some men paid the ultimate price. For their sacrifice, they should be remembered as heroes. Because they were willing to risk their lives, the people of Grenada are free today. Because they were willing to risk their lives, the fight against communism advanced one step closer towards freedom. And I hope everybody remembers how evil and dangerous the communist ideology is.

Conclusion

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I am against most wars. War is inherently evil. So, any right minded person should be against war. However, wars and warriors are two different things. The soldiers that fight and die for their nation are incredibly brave and worthy of our respect. This is true for the men (and some women) on both sides of any conflict.

Further, let’s all remember that regardless of America’s current flaws, we live in the freest nation and era of all time. America is the only nation / empire to date that frees its conquered enemies. Grenada is just one of the latest examples of how America’s military frees people from the horrors of communism and fascism.

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