25 OCT 1983 -OPERATION URGENT FURY (GRENADA) After a coup within the People's Revolutionary Government on the small Caribbean island of Grenada -with suspected Cuban involvement, and about 700 Americans attending medical schools there, the United States launched a hasty invasion, Operation URGENT FURY. At 0500 on 25 Oct 1983, soldiers of the 1st and 2d Battalions (Ranger), 75th Infantry began an airborne operation to secure Point Salinas Airport against anti-aircraft fire. Once on the ground, they removed obstacles People's Revolutionary Army (PRA) and Cuban defenders had placed to block the runway. Assisted by Air Force AC-13O gunships, the Rangers secured the airfield by 0735, neutralized enemy anti-aircraft weapons, and captured many Cubans. Almost simultaneously, a company of the 2d Battalion, 8th Marines landed by helicopter on the east coast and secured Pearls Airport against light resistance. In the meantime, lightly armed Navy Sea Air Land (SEAL) commandos secured the British Governor General, Sir Paul, at his residence in St. George's, but were surrounded by RPA troops with armored vehicles. The SEALs resisted with Navy, Marine and Air Force air support until a force of marines with tanks and amphibious vehicles that landed at Grand Mal Bay linked up with them. The Rangers then moved to evacuate American students and neutralize enemy resistance while two brigades of the 82d Airborne Division arrived to join the fight. Operations continued against decreasing resistance over the next several days as Grenadian civilians welcomed the American troops as liberators. When they were withdrawn on 15 December, nearly 7,000 American military personnel, mostly Army, had served on Grenada at some point, of whom about 2,500 had engaged 1,500 PRA soldiers and 700 armed Cuban defenders in combat. Posted @withregram • @armyhistory #Grenada #UrgentFury #Armyhistory #USArmy #thisdayinarmyhistory (at Middle Tennessee Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVc5G97AVNw/?utm_medium=tumblr
