"Rangers Lead The Way!" - Grenada Parachute Assault 1983
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- The exciting story of the 75th Rangers parachute assault on Point Salines Airport during the 1983 US invasion of Grenada.
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.o...
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Thanks: Vitaly V. Kuzmin
I was about to say that it was nice to see some more modern history... Then I realised how long ago this was and how old I am 😱
Mark usually does do atomic era
Same here...
Relatively modern my friend
Roger that. I was 27 then. How time flies eh.
what do you mean? I was alive when this happened too.... oooooh. well crap.
It's that time where we can all get together and listen to our man Mark serenade us with historical tidbits. One of my favorite times of the day.
Mine too
Agreed
It's always super interesting and informative content, also great stuff to fall asleep to.
Yes!
My cousin was in this action. He sadly was KIA in Panama in 1989 during Operation Just Cause. R.I.P. SSG Larry Barnard. Ranger Leads The Way.
Not many made both jumps, Grenada and Panama. RIP, RLTW.
The cause wasnt so just. Bush sr sells cocaine
@David Jonh don't shot at people if you don't want to get shot at, especially if it's other people's country
Pathfinder, 3rd Btln, Jamaica defense Force. We led on that one. Sorry for your loss.
Its sort of funny that the contributions of the various Caribbean forces is hardly mentioned in these things but not surprising as the various governments of the time preferred to keep our involvement out of the records given the fact that the US was not very popular among the local populations at that time.
@@mattgrele6318 got that backwards, bub. Noriega was the narco-trafficker.
Grenada vet here, was with the first plane in from the 82nd and was part of the group that was the firebase at Point Salinas, when we got called out we were all sure that we were going to Beirut since the bombing of the Marines there had just happened the day before, just wanted to say great job of documenting and telling the story
I know this filmstrip is a few years old but I was there. 307th engineers. You have an ALL THE WAY DAY!
I was in middle school. Joined the Army in '89. Got my wings, but got stuck in a leg unit. 24th ID.
@@racer14glr91 damn it. 89 you must be just a pup. That’s old guy talk. Ha.
@@1fromtheroad I'm 52 now, but yeah I guess compared to the guys that did this operation. 😂
@@racer14glr91 I was 24 then. 64 now. There is a unit that you can jump with now. Do a refresh and the outfit goes all over
I was stationed in DC at the time when this went down.
It was this invasion that highlighted for the different US services our lack of interoperability in communications between services. While our Navy ships could communicate for gunfire support with the Marines, we had a lot of problems with the Army due to incompatibility of comm gear. That became a big issue that we resolved following this.
Fun Fact: The scene in Heartbreak Ridge where the GI calls back to the US on a landline was adopted from an actual event. An Army soldier was not able to establish communications with another unit, so he used his calling card to call back to Ft Bragg, so that they could relay the message for him.
After the invasion, much of the captured equipment was brought back to Andrews AFB and a public showing was put on for anyone that wanted to come and see it. There were captured (Soviet built) armored vehicles, anti-aircraft gun and various small arms.
Edit: Also, Margaret Thatcher was quite annoyed with President Reagan about the invasion and this strained their relationship for a bit. IIRC, President Reagan apologized during a phone call to PM Thatcher and they put the event behind them.
Didn't a navy seal Make that call to The states..
John Burns Hi John, you just make too much sense so unfortunately your info will be wasted on the American audience. I had two American Company Commanders in 3 Para, one was from the Rangers, the other from their Airborne, both whinged at our small chutes, the amount of gear they had to carry and the lack of vehicles. You can bet our Brigade was glad that we did not have to go into Granada using the Americans transport and communications. If those Cubans were anything like the ones in Angola, the Yanks were welcome to that fight! Harera
Childs play when you consider what the British had to deal with in the Falklands. Imagine having a 8,000 mile supply chain, had to split your taskforce to reclaim two islands from an enemy with Naval and air cover, similar equipment, entrenched defenses, outnumber you AND they know you are coming! Still a good operation by the Americans.
yeah, a Brigade TOC was strafed by an A7 because of that.
@@johnburns4017 fight they weren't expecting?
Mark Felton Productions: what the History Channel should have been!
Now it's just UFOs
The Canadian History channel just shows sword making. Endlessly. Awful.
Yerp, His role voice was made for .mil history.
@@janetyeoman1544 ...far more interesting than the usual "reality" shite....
Wait: Aren't you posting this on every video?
My squad leader in the Marine Corps was in the invasion of Grenada. He is good friend to this day. He is also a Gulf 1 and 2 veteran! SEMPER FI Mark and keep this awesome history coming!
Do you feel good being a tool of imperialism?
Thank you for your service!!!
@@zddxddyddw oh give me a break. Democracy and decency still rule in Grenada today
CAR with two stars
@@erictroxell715 Yes, but mainly due to the 75th Ranger's and 82d Airborne Division. It's my favorite Caribbean island and I hope to return.
My dad served with the 82nd during the Grenada campaign. Great video Mark!
SO MY STEPDAD BRO
Follow up: His unit got a alert to form up since they were quick reaction force at the time. Of course they all thought it was another dumb drill. So they were smoking and joking around. Well the tone changed when got handed live ammo and grenades. Definitely a oh crap moment. As the unit was getting ammo the m60 machine gun team leader (old vietnam vet) was basically giving multiple belts of to his team. Some supply person comes up and try and tell him i need to see your ammo card. The old timer turns around and says “i know what im doing” and proceeds to ignore him. Supply guy just walks off.
@@Boragath love to see it
Hello. Just want to say the 82nd is legendary in my country the Netherlands.
Because of their action crossing nijmegen waal river and took the bridge in 1944 during market garden.. The 82nd as a division received the highest medal of bravery my nation has. The military order of William.
So now each time a medal or a military parade takes place. There is a American 82nd airbourne in the honor flag unit.
A close friend of mine fought there. Told me he took out a APC filled with Cubans with a LAW rocket.
Was in on the Amphibious side. USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30). We carried the 22 MAU and SEAL team 4.
10 months in service and 19 years old.
We were on our way to relieve the US Marine contingent of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut.
While prepping for the invasion we found out they had a terrorist attack on the Marine BLT at Beirut airport.
When we finished in Grenada we hauled to Beirut. That is another story.
Thanks for sharing. Individual stories like yours fill in valuable details, so its nice to hear from the Vets involved.
I was in 1/8 in beruit waiting for you 2)8 guts to come get us
On a scale of one to ten, how ashamed do you feel?
Manko Kennewick So was I. Bravo Co. Weapons Platoon.
you mean LSD-25 ;D?
I have been in the US Army 15 years, and now know more about this operation than I ever have. Thanks for sharing!
My grandfather took part of this. Always hear some amazing stories about it. How his whole platoon was resting in a gully at night and they literally heard a branch snap off into the distance so everyone lit the forest up for 5 minutes. It just turned out to be a local who didn't even get a scratch.
Good shooting there, soldiers! The man almost died of a heart attack!
So that one scene in Predator was actually the most realistic part of the movie?
@@Torus2112 😂yessir
@@Torus2112 I'm thinking of just about every A-Team episode.
@Roger Dodger Yea my grandfather was issued an M60 and he reminds me constantly about how he ALWAYS carried extra
Way back in the day, one of the Drill Sergeants in my Basic company at Ft. Benning was former 2nd Batt, and had jumped onto Point Salinas. I spent my entire military career jealous of the gold star of a combat jump that he wore above his parachutist wings.
I know this story way to well. I was with 1/75 and did that jump. Originally is was to be an airland, but there is backstory of that, and not just landing strip being block, it was supposed to be cleared. Biggest problem . There were so many units involved couldn't get any one on radio. I still remember that damn jump. Funny almost know one knew where the hell Grenada was. Note I returned five years later for vacation. When asked at airport had been here. I pointed to sky. Was treated like celebrity. I go there every year to scuba dive
And everyone clapped...
Bless you, brother. RLTW
Nice seeing fellow starship troopers fan
I remember watching it on the news, when they interviewed an elderly lady from Granada on her porch, all she would say was : "God bless America, God bless America!"
My father was 3rd bat in 84’
This is what inspired me to join the U.S. Army when i was17 years old with my parents permission. I wanted to be a Ranger but never made it,i did make it into the 82nd Airborne and was in operation Just Cause. My mother was divorced by this time and drove the entire army crazy with phone calls about my safety and when i was in Panama my Captain came and pulled me from my unit and took me to the CP where he made me call my mother and after that she would call him all the time about my welfare and they actually met during a event and are happily married to this day.
Man Officers shouldn't be hooking up with thier enlisted troops moms, especially the Company Commander.
Cool story,for real
Don't listen to the dude above,he's the type of dude whose worried about a wrinkle on your uniform than real life
LoL. That's kinda cool.
You should write this up and send it to Hallmark or Lifetime.
I was serving with the 1st Armored Division in Germany as an M60A3 Patton tank driver when this happened. We would wait for the reports to hear what was going on. We were rooting for our brothers in arms to get a swift victory and for their safety. Thank you Dr. Felton for keeping history alive.
Things we should learn in school but don’t by Mark Felton.
youre a slave
Juan Shaft Patel I know
Ok, but let's be honest with ourselves here. There is a very large amount of historical subject matter in the world to cover, and naturally not much time delegated towards teaching it high-school (for example). Most people only have 1-2 hour history classes along with every other class they take in public schools. With this said, in my public high-school, they went over the 1983 Invasion of Grenada albeit briefly, more so as a foot-note.
Often when I see these types of comments, I am amazed as they actually do teach much of which people claim they do not, and in *public school systems* no less.
Which brings me to another facet, which is the fact that most high-school students do not care about history, and therefore often *do not listen, or care.* Most high-school students are *more concerned about getting laid* than learning about the Invasion of Grenada.
All I am saying is, be real.
Edit: I had an entire cohesive write-up here, but RUclips apparently deleted certain sentences and made this comment near unreadable. I hope the point is still getting across.
Cus at school anything anti-left (i.e. neutral, factual based presentation) is blasphemy.
Come on the USS Liberty, trust nothing.
Airborne instructors (blackhats) were a bunch of Grenada combat vets when I went through jump school.
My Senior Drill Instructor was an 82nd Grenada vet. Oddly enough, I ran into him in the enlisted club at a Puerto Rican NG camp five years later.
Four-point PLF: feet, knees, elbows, face
@@j3dwin Airborne. woo rah
@Michael McNamara Are you related to Robert McNamara? I just read an article about him.
Same here when I went to ABN school in 02 @ Benning.
Mark I remember here in America when the United States invaded Grenada. It was the first time alot of Americans would see the new German looking helmets the us forces were wearing. I remember my grandmother saying the army are wearing German helmets. Which now lots of countries wear the same type helmets
The legacy of German military tech from 75-80 years ago is vast and consequential to this day.
The German Stalhelm was a design that aged well in terms of ballistics.
The Germans had also Jetfighters ;)
Those german WW2 helmets were revolutionary .
Yeah. The Germans figured out stuff like that much quicker than the rest of the world. They introduced the basic design in 1916.
Best doc on Fury i've watched, I was with the 82nd/325, a lot of pop up engagements, I was hit in a RPG attack supporting our Spanish speaking guys trying to get a Cuban hold up in the brush, he pops up and fired, all I seen was a trail of white smoke then heat and silence. I was hit in the legs & feet & lost my right testicle. Still served til '93 & then got out. Brought back some memories, Mark, thank you again.
I had just received my Infantry commission when this occurred so I was a bit too young to participate. But within two years I became a rifle platoon leader in 3rd Ranger battalion.
At that time, it was considered a matter of great prestige to be wearing the battalion scroll on both shoulders. A unit patch on the right shoulder indicates that the soldier participated in combat with that unit and can wear that patch forever regardless of their current assignment. I missed Urgent Fury so I wore a single battalion scroll on my left shoulder below my Ranger tab.
Also, a bronze star (mustard stain) affixed to jump wings indicates a combat jump and is also quite coveted. My father had two of those and wore them defiantly as they were not yet officially sanctioned.
I look back at my time in a Ranger battalion with great pride and appreciate Dr. Felton’s coverage of this operation.
Were you out before Panama?
@@cicadasmasher8082 I was an instructor for the mountain phase (Camp Merrill) at that time. Godspeed.
One of my best friends was in the 82nd during this operation. He sustained a horrific wound to his right arm. After a long fight, the doctors were able to save it though he did not retain full use of it.
A good buddy of mine was there with the 82nd on a mortar crew. Still had blood stains from wounded comrades on his BDU's when he came home afterward. That sort of shook me.
Good.
Esteban Ferreras
Warfare no matter the enemy isn’t a good thing, but it is necessary.
@@davidhollenshead4892 Unfortunately Mike passed away several years ago from health issues unrelated to his military service. There isn't a day that does by that I don't miss being able to talk to him. His son took up the torch as he is currently serving in his dad's old unit.
Was he an MP?
Clint Eastwood fought in this battle too
That man is a living saint. Long live Clint.
@@johngillon6969 In fairness, it's probably the worst film he ever made.
@@mookie2637 That's why it's a classic and revered by Marines. It made the term "clusterfuck" common to everyone.
@@mookie2637 Yea that was like trying to polish a turd. Imagine loosing your life because some president wants to be historic. Like all the dead soldiers since korea have died for what? ANS: protect the percent class of Amerika and secure them more wealth.
If I remember that film correctly, Clint won the Medal of Honor for his action on Grenada. The best part of the film was when he was consulting women's magazines in a attempt to be more sensitive to women.
8:30 "Two men were hung up as they jumped and were pulled back inside the aircraft."
Okay, that's terrifying. 😳
The only thing I was really worried about, just dangling in the air until you got dragged back into the plane, chute malfunction was not a big deal, never jumped that low, so the reserve would have been fine. Hell I've even had to run off another person's canopy and land hard, but being a hung jumper was a bit of a concern
Good thing that as a Rigger the chute would have been packed by me or someone I knew and trusted, so not as big a concern
The towed jumper can actually signal that they are willing to be cut loose, but they were likely back over the sea by then. The static line retriever isn't strong enough to pull in the jumpers by itself. Any one still onboard has to pull them in by their static line against 130 knot winds.
@@j3dwin They aint cutting you free at 500 feet over land, remember these guys didn't have reserves, they were pulled back ion
@@z0phi3l You're right. While the aircraft do not have to remain at drop altitude you definitely have to have a reserve. They cut you loose and you pop your reserve. My static line got wrapped around my weapons case and I bounced off the fuselage a couple of times but it eventually came loose. And NO ONE onboard knew that I flailing in the breeze. That wasn't very encouraging.
@@j3dwin From my experience they may see you dangling in the air when they do their check after each pass, but more likely it will be when pulling the deployment bags back in and it's much harder than normal to pull them in
Mark is the best military documentary film maker!
Thanks for for posting this. It was my first combat action. I served as the chaplain assistant NCO with the 1-17th (Air) Cavalry Squadron, 82d Airborne Division and deployed to Grenada. I salute my brothers and sisters in all the forces that deployed in that action.
I was there on the first day with the Air Force, working security for the C-130's at Pt. Salinas. I can still see those Cuban APC's taking hits from the gunships. Great video, Mr. Felton.
This was the first time I remember seeing troops wearing the PASGT helmet. Excellent doc as always! Thank you.
Glad to see the C-130 make an appearance on your channel. I fly those today with the USAF, as a flight engineer (flight deck middle seat). I know guys that have since retired that very likely were flying the 130’s in this video. Love the channel!
I think i will be learning more about history in this channel than in my entire school years! Keep up Dr. Mark Felton. Thank you so much!
My brother was one of the General's in on that deal....He later went back in and made the planes to restore electrical power on the island,he was also an electrical engineer working for Coastal Electric Company.....Thanks very much...!
I remember this, and the related map incident: No one in US military in this age of satellites and computer records could find ANY maps for the troops, so they had to use inaccurate tourist maps - and so could not use offshore naval artillery. It was back to the 19th cent! I thought that was ridiculous.
And of course, since it ended up successfully, no one was penalized for the foul up.....
In 1983 the use of satellites and computers was not near what it is now. Still inexcusable using tourist maps, though. Somebody dropped the ball.
The 82nd Airborne Division didn't have a map of Grenada at Fort Bragg, so a division staff officer headed for downtown Fayetteville, NC where he procured tourist maps of the island. Planners superimposed a military grid atop the map and distributed copies to the invading troops before they boarded their air craft. Interestingly, many senior leaders were relying on articles copied out of The Economist for the most up-to-date intelligence on the island.
Military Times
@@misterjag no wonder there's a blue on blue incident. An A7 strafed a brigade TOC.
Well, the real blame lies with Jimmah Carter. One of Reagan's big campaign themes was to rebuild the US military. However, he had a Democrat congress to deal with and of course they roadblocked and hosed stuff as they could. Its amazing Reagan was able to push as much through as he did. Every aspect of the US military was in bad shape including terrible pay which caused many soldiers to be on food stamps at the time.
I remember the map story from when it happened and I believe that raised enough American voices to force the Dem congress to re-fund and rebuild the military. A lot of things went wrong in Grenada like the SEALs who drowned and should not have. And the aircraft carrier commander who refused to let Army helicopters land on his deck because the pilots were not carrier qualified.!!!! I would've liked to have a few words with that schmuck officer out back. Never heard if there were ramifications for that Navy capt for his stupidity. Edit: forgot to mention the Army helicopters were carrying wounded soldiers.
I flew photo recon on the first day to make 1:10,000 scale maps. Intel on CV-62 used the photos to make maps that afternoon and evening. Helos took the maps ashore the next day.
Side note.
The government in my country (Trinidad and Tobago) did not support the invasion and were so worried about U.S. Forces using my country as a base to launch the invasion, they actually ended up destroying an old air field in tbe north east of the country the Americans left behind after WW2.
It was a remote airfield and no one would have noticed anything flying in or out.
Very interesting detail!
@@clazy8 it was before my time tho, i was born in 86.
Why worry? I never understood the Trinidadians to be worried about this.
Random Trinidadian I am from trinidad too 🇹🇹
@@Jo-uh1mw i dont get it either. The airfield use to be a popular hang out for locals i heard
Great video! My Great Uncle Raymond was in the U.S. Army 475th Infantry Regiment and saw much action in the C.I.B. Burma theater in 1944-45 in WWII. The 475th, which was the precursor to the "75th Ranger Regiment" also has lineage as the succesor of the 5307 Composite unit in Burma AKA "Merrill's Marauders". The Lineage and bravery of the 75th is the stuff of legends! In WWII, Vietnam, up to the current day, they are the go to large special force in the U.S. ARmy. Hooah! I salute them!
Awesome Mark!! My step father was a 1st Sgt in the battalion of marines that landed on Grenada during that issue. He even brought back a capture Czech Vz52 rifle! Thanks..keep up the good work!!
as a former Spectre maintainer, I love hearing the history of my old aircraft. Its got a long and storied past that Mark should cover. well done sir.
Thanks for that one, Mark.
I was 20 years old at the time of this and as a young man in the UK was aware of it happening but never understood at all what it was all about until now. Thank you for explaining it.
Back in the mid 90's my Platoon Sergeant was the only guy I served with that had 2 Gold Stars on his jump wings. Grenada and Panama. He also wore the Old school Ranger Scroll for his combat patch.
The movie Heartbreak Ridge was just that. I don't remember seeing any Marines at the med school. The students weren't in "grave danger" either. Jumping at 500 feet with combat gear hurts also. I was an 18 year old Pfc assigned to the 2nd Battalion. In Ft. Lewis for a month and a half when we got the call. Recently retired after 39 years.
The producers went to the Army for equipment, etc first and got turned down. The marines were smart enough to say yes so they changed the script.
Sometimes the Army actively tries to avoid looking cool
So you left the band and joined the Army? Cool.
That's because it was a Ranger Battallion Mission there were no Recon Marines in Grenada and for a very good reason. The movie depicts a Lone Recon Platoon organic to the 8th Marine Regiment. No such animal exists. There are 3 Recon Battallions 1 organic to the 3 Marine Division HQs Each Recon Battallion has a Force Recon Company very similar to the Army's LRRP/ LRP/ LRS and in fact Force Recon had a hand in creating those units which would at the end of Vietnam become the 75th Ranger Regiment. 1st Marine Regiment and 3rd Marine Regiment and their Recon Battallions are in the Pacific 1st at Camp Pendleton and 3rd in Hawaii. As you know Greneda was a very hastily put together mission no time to get som much men and equipment to the Atlantic. the 8th Marine Regiment in Lejune did indeed fight in Greneda they are in the 2nd Marine Division and 2nd Recon along with other 2nd Division assets were in Lebanon and were the ones killed in the barracks bombing hence no Recon Marines in Greneda. My Uncle was a member of 3rd Recon Battallion at the time and had served with them in Keh Sahn and the battle of Hue depicted in Full Metal Jacket his Lt Frank Reasoner was a Medal of Honor Recipient for that battle. I was a LRS Scout and Served in SF and the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The pre landing Recon in Greneda was done by 7th Special Forces and members of SEAL Team 4. This is because they were brand new as a SEAL Team and had only months before been UDTs so beach Recon was their thing. Both 4 and 6 were new and USSOCOM didn't exist until 1987 and that added to the problems the Team Six guys drowned cause they dropped into a storm off the coast carrying more than 100 lbs each. I had friends that were SEALS on that mission and for a long time afterward it became a thing for SEALS to compete against one another to see who could tread water carrying the most weight. while sta
An 18 year old Ranger! That’s awesome!
@@joshualittle877 I believe the Team Six guys died because they were dropped on an underwater reef that the pilot couldn’t pick out because of the weather. Their injuries were the cause of the drowning.
It’s a good day when Mark Felton and alternative history upload the same day
Love these videos by Mark Felton. No pack drill - just plain facts and action. Bravo!
I vividly remember a male medical student that had returned to United States kissing the ground when he got off the plane. That was powerful for me🤓
Me too. We were so proud of our forces and country!! Still am
Why would students go to Grenada for any studies?
@@bnghjtyu767 Didn't do so well in their pre-med studies and couldn't get into a US medical school. They would come back here for internship and residency, which is where you really learn to be a doctor in a practical sense, and then would make a career for themselves. It was probably a lot cheaper too.
Bob Rabinoff..........that's correct. They couldn't get into any US MED school, so they had to go offshore schools where they didn't care (or sometimes require) MCAT scores. If you had the money for tuition, you're in. Trouble is, these grads had trouble passing the MLE (Medical Licensing Exam) to practice in the US or even getting placed in a residency program. I know several Ross University Medical School (Dominica) graduates, who are now attending community college to learn a trade in order to make a living.
Most people who have researched the situation believe that the students were in no danger until the US invaded. The people of Grenada were fully aware that tourism and the medical school were the country's major source of income. One of my co-workers was in the invasion force and later talked about how weird it was that while he was in full battle gear, manning an M60 machine gun near the school, the students were walking past him in bathing suits, heading down to the beach for a swim. Most of the students apparently never felt endangered and laughed at the guy you were talking about.
By coincidence, I happened to know a great deal about the country at the time. A couple of semesters before the invasion, I took a college course about economic and technical development of developing countries. We happened to choose Granada (partly because it was so small), so I had spent weeks studying its geography, history, educational system, current events, natural resources, etc. We apparently knew more than the US military, since we were fully aware of the hospital that was mistakenly bombed. We also knew that the airfield under construction was designed by an American firm and designed for tourist 727's, not built for Russian bombers as said on the news. The previous runways were too small for jets from the US or Europe, and this negatively affected tourism.
I tend to think that the invasion was an over-reaction to the events, but there are those who firmly believe that it was a "wag the dog" maneuver by the Reagan administration to distract from the political scandals going on. Google "Reagan administration scandals" to see why that is not a completely unreasonable conclusion.
US 80s Uniform with the M16 Looks badass
This wasthe first time the BDU's were deployed in combat
Remember this, I was there. As part of the Direct Support Team from the 593rd Area Support Group, in support of the 2-75th Ranger Battalion and others deployed. Their weapons to include the M-67, 90mm recoilless rifles (my shop repairs and services) did most of the anti-armor work against the Cubans in Grenadian BTR-60's. My team departed from McCord Air-Field just across a barrier fence at North Fort Lewis, Washington. which is now known as Joint Base Lewis/McCord. We left at 0300 hrs. of the third day of Operation Urgent Fury on C-130 Hercules transports. We arrived after several mid-air refuels, circled and landed on the secured Airport at Point Salines.
Were these C-130E's of the 36th Tactical Airlift Squadron? Didn't realize they could be re-fueled in flight.
@@osubuckeyeno1 not really sure about that. It was a strange deployment. by the time we arrived, it was quite over. we spent three days at Point Salines then returned to McCord/Ft Lewis.
I was with the 82nd Airborne from 1980-84 and took part in the Grenada operation with the 313th MI Battalion.
Just to provide some additional context to the video, the Rangers and the Marines conducted simultaneous air air assaults on airfields at opposite sides of the island; Point Salines in the southwest (Rangers) and Pearls in the northeast (Marines).
You can distinguish the participants by the helmets they wore. The 82nd were the only ones with Kevlar helmets on (9:10). Marines had the older Vietnam-style (9:32 - at Pearls Airport), while the Rangers wore a mix of older helmets and patrol caps.
Unlike Desert Storm and OIF, Grenada was a truly no-notice, come as you are operation. We were recalled to Bragg on Monday evening, October 24th, to the 82nd Division HQ and at 1:00 in the morning on the 25th were told that the Rangers and the Marines were going into Grenada in four hours, at 5:00 am. The first units of the 82nd arrived early that afternoon.
During my four years in the 82nd we were told over and over "you're a phone call away from going to war" and I saw my fellow paratroopers live up to that motto with their rapid and effective deployment to Grenada on such short notice.
Back in that time I owned several Short Wave Radios. I listened to a lot of ham operators and even some radio stations broadcasting reports or asking for help. I was completely glued to my radios. To this day I still work in broadcasting.
Hell yeah Rangers Lead The Way, I remember someone telling me a story about basic training and they asked the DS what the airborne was like and he said “Just go ask those Rangers over there, they jumped from 500ft with no reserve chute in Grenada”. That’s freaking nuts. Those guys were pure badass
This operation helped lead to the development of SOCOM in 1987. RLTW Class 10/97.
Hooah, brother -- RLTW Class 12-90 -- "Old Skool"
IIRC 4 navy SEALs drowned after being inserted into the sea by air during the Grenada ordeal. Rough seas was the reason given, but rumor they were dropped too far out from the original drop point.
They also carried too much weight.
They seals were fully kitted out, and fell in bad weather and were too far missing the boat landing. They were never found, so we don’t truly know what happened to them.
And 27 Rangers were never found with that insertion as well.......hard to swim with 110 pounds on your back
All true. It came out in the newspapers after the Grenada invasion was over. There was the public sense of disbelief because Navy SEALS are supposed to be excellent swimmers. The lesson learned was even the best swimmer can drown when too exhausted to swim and laden down with heavy equipment. Personally, I wondered why the U.S. Navy didn't provide aqua-propulsion equipment, the kind seen in the James Bond movie, "Thunderball", where suited diver swimmers hold on to the battery-operated aqua propulsion devices and don't have to exhaust themselves. As a teenager I remember listening to my dad and his friends from high school talking about one of their former high school buddies who was a member of the high school swim team. Yet he died in the Korean War where the cause of his death was, drowning. It was thought he had been laden down with full military pack gear when something happened during a river crossing and he drowned, maybe pulled under by the gear's weight. Tragic lesson shown again.
@ster plaz I only brought it up as I recalled conversing with an air force crew chief, who participated in the Grenada insertion, in 1990 that told me about the SEALs. I was in the army at the time, but did not read about it until many years later.
Great lesson on this interesting piece of US / Caribbean history. I served with some of the veterans of Grenada in the late 80's. It's amazing how important Granada and Panama was to the moral of the US Army. The 80's were a turning point where the broken down military of the Vietnam era rose again to become the greatest fighting force in the world. Hooah!
I was 12 but I remember this like it was yesterday. Doesn't time fly when your having fun. Thanks Mark and stay safe everyone.
Two of my Drill Sergeants were part of that jump. They told us a few stories about it. SFC Swartzbauer and SSG Heltemes.
A family friend was going to school there during this invasion. He said when the USMC landed the Grenadian and Cuban military couldn't run away fast enough.
You mean those cubain "construction workers"
@@mattgrele6318 not mentioned in this video were the north korean advisors.
they actually fought quite hard
30 Cuban soldiers and workers, decisive action what a joke.
@@juanfabiani6162 are you certain that was all there was? You did see the zsu AA gun? A rather odd tool for "construction workers".
This was an event I was always fascinated about!! Thank you!
A dear friend of mine was there in the 1st Rangers- thank you for the doc!
I remember this well, my older brother was there. He was with the 82nd airborne and part of the main invasion.
Love the videos Mark! Keep up the good work. Also got the notification within 30 seconds
Hello Muddah, hello Faddah
Here I am at Camp Grenada
Marge, is Lisa at Camp Grenada?
Oh my, that's a lot of flair 00:32
Edit: Dr. Felton I hope you are considering immersing us into Gulf War 1 and 2 as I call them. You have a way with words.
@@sayeager5559 I was referring to Office Space but yeah.
Fantastic video-- my friends and comrades who were in Ranger BN's afterwards are going to appreciate this. One jumped into Panama and others got to see other garden spots since then.
As I say to the students in my cohort !!! “ how do you eat an elephant kids “ they look scratching there heads bemused , as I try to give them some advice on how to break down large problems in there lives !! “ slowly and bite size chunks” I remark ! And just like Mark Feltons war time history stories ( small bite size chunks for me to listen to on the move ) once again I’m left feeling full and satisfied at this amazing knowledge and footage !! Keep up the great work 👍
My father was in 1/75 first plane in as a Radio man for the battalion commander, he says that they were so low to the trees that the Cuban Flak guns couldn't go any lower.
I remember watching this on the evening news. What stuck in my mind was the artillery unit firing. Little did I know two years later I'd be in that artillery battalion...
Mark Felton: I was a 22-year-old 2nd LT who served in Grenada with the 519th Military intelligence Battalion. You would be surprised by the crap we found on the island.
Lou Ferrao : Yeah? For instance?
@@ebayerr Like a warehouse full of heroin.
@@louferrao2044 What happened to it?
DEA took physical custody of it.
@@louferrao2044 You sure they didn't sell it? You know to fund some "things"?
I've been wanting to see a video on this subject for sometime now,thanks again Dr Felton!
I reported for US Army Basic Training a few months after this happened and it was all we talked about in the chow hall. Thanks for the memory jog, sir. Great video.
Another excellent video and insight into US military operations in 1980s
Drew: I didn't know you fought in Grenada
Ryan: yes, I did 2 tours there a week
Fought on the weekends.
Ryan "served" the troops in Granada.
Wow ! How could I forget that day in history, Oct. 25, 1983.
I was a young soldier assigned to the 8th U.S. Army in South Korea. At the time of the invasion of Grenada, it was about
1 A.M. in South Korea and the "sirens" began blaring as we were now on a "Full Alert". The North Korean military was on the move, probably fearing that President Reagan was going to clean out the regime of the hermit kingdom. As F-16s flew overhead at low levels and tanks rumbled down the road to take up positions, I and my buddy dug into our FoX holes in the pitch dark. It was a long night, but morning soon brought us light and the tension from North Korea settled down about 8 hours later. Yes indeed, it's a day of my life I'll never forget .
God Bless America !
How do you know God's on our side?
what camp were you at because i came over right when it was over it was literally, well your back on post your TA-50 is accounted for, weapon cleaned, oh By the you need to see Levy section you have orders. and in Korea I ended up at some place Called Camp Liberty Bell, so what little break i had in between. sucked. Manchu's
Best channel on RUclips.
Another great video. I remember vividly watching the news reports at the age of 13. I've always been fascinated by anything military and this was the first time that I'd seen the new US helmets. It blew my mind.
I love getting that notification, time for a actual history lesson, unlike what they teach In school now
Can you do the son tay prison raid? It’s something that’s there’s almost no information on it
I've never heard of it so yes please
@@theylivewesleep925 Vietnam raid on a POW camp.
There is quite a bit on the son tay raid... but I'd like Mark's take.
That Helio they purposly crashed in the Son Tay court yard CH53 was historical . It was the first ever helicopter to fly nonstop coast to coast. I dont remember the tail number anymore
I've read it in a Penthouse magazine back in the 80s, very detailed story. Known personalities from Green Berets were involved there like Col. Bull Simmons and Capt. Mead. The raid was well executed but no prisoners inside the camp bec. bad intel.
Damn Good Stuff. This was the action that prompted me to go Airborne Infantry.
You wanted to help your country bully, invade and submit other, much weaker nations? How noble of you.
Esteban Ferreras you damn right I did. I think being able to shoot communists and communist sympathizers was just a added bonus. Every country is weaker than the US though so you really should try to narrow your comment a little bit.
@@zddxddyddw Yes, we did all of that. Good times.
Josh I kinda miss the old Warsaw Pact ! But hell, Antifa and BLM are tryin to fill in the gap and I appreciate their efforts !!!
jt thorsson I was at that sweet point in the Army were we transitioned from shooting Commies to shooting terrorists. But as a Airborne Infantryman I’m readily adaptable to destroying all enemies of my country.
God how I miss the feeling of falling underneath the T10 delta! Nothing but the sound of you breathing and the gentle flutter of the risers against the wind. Hey to all my fellow AIRBORNE, ALL THE WAY!!!
I like this info about the US Invasion of Grenada. This helps put things more in context.
I am from Trinidad and Tobago living in Arizona. It was deer season and when I got back to camp for lunch is when I heard this was going on. Caused me a lot of worry because all my family other than my siblings are from Grenada. By the time I returned from the evening hunt I learned a family member was in the thick of it. We were very relieved he did not get killed. The people I knew was glad to see Bishop go away. Never met a Grenadian that was not easy going and friendly. But I may be a little biased. It is now vogue for Trini's to go to Grenada on vacation...I don't get that. ...but that's my people and their carnival attitude.
This is why I’m a “wartime veteran “. I was not part of this though. I was stationed in Germany at that time. The Cold War wasn’t so cold during Able Archer ‘83. That was interesting.
I never tell anyone I'm a wartime veteran, by the time I got done with AIT the first Gulf War started, ended and cleanup was ongoing, class before me went straight to Kuwait, so I guess it was pretty close
I was IRONING during the gulf war I ain't cut out for this hero bullshit!
Able archer was a scary time, I read some things about that few years ago, one of the closest calls in the cold war but most people didn't know
Love the Content keep it up
Great work Mark! Really enjoyed this little Cold War tale
Amazing informative videos
Great pub chats from these in normal times
I have been there to visit wonderful family friends and met a survivor of the attack on the prime minister. Amazing story, Mark. Ronald Reagan is still to this day highly regarded in Greneda!
From what I recall this action was taken without the USA informing PM Margaret Thatcher or The Commonwealth (until after action had started) - it is a stain on the “Special Relationship” which should never reoccur.
Yep totally agree
Reagan called her up after the phone call is on RUclips. It’s be declassified
Thatcher was opposed to this American action as was the Commonwealth.
@Mustang Pilot stfu, typical gobshite yank
I was serving in the Navy then, we were staging logistical support in Barbados in advance of the invasion. Many of the supplies and personnel were never even used, the whole thing was over so quickly.
i'm from Barbados. I heard your command center was at our airport. I was 3 years old at the time.
@@shineonline185 Yeah it was, though from what I heard, most of the personnel spent their time on the beaches.
All of the information in the short mini docs are really intresting and it makes you want to know more. Please keep it coming.
I am a simple man. I see a new Mark Felton video, I watch.
I remember working with a lady from Grenada. Her parents returned from a sailing trip and dropped anchor off the coast to settle down for the night. A military helicopter appeared and buzzed the ship then just kept orbiting around it. Much later it left and another took up station . They soon got the idea that someone did not want them there . They pulled up the anchor and sailed back out into the Caribbean. The next day the US military took over.
I was only a kid but remember this very clearly, Just two days earlier, hundreds of U.S. Marines had been killed by a suicide bomber in Beirut.
We were told about it as we were preparing for the invasion. That was the 23rd of October, we found out on the twenty fourth and invaded at O dark thirty of the 25th
As a retired Ranger I approve of this video 👍🏻
RANGER LEAD THE WAY!!
HOOAH!
My step father was in the 2nd Ranger battalion in Grenada. The stories he told were my favorite stories to hear. Operation urgent fury was a very historical thing that doesn’t get talked about near as much as it should.
Great job mr Felton on this one well done. I'm from neighboring Trinidad and Tobago
I was part of the 11SFGP after jump school in 1980. I was 40 years old at the time. A supply sergeant I soldered with was on this jump with the 75th, and two of our members of the Special Forces Association Chapter 99 were also in on the retaking of this island from the thugs who overtook the government at that time. I never got deployed in the 6-1/2 years I was in the group.
Did you notice that they jumped without reserves? My first thought was what did they grab onto when exiting the aircraft. You grasp the reserve with both hands with the right-hand fingers extended over the ripcord handle.
@@j3dwin Yes, I was told by the supply SGT who made the jump that they did not rig reserves, at 500 feet AGL there would be no time anyway. You eat up half that just getting the main inflated. I suspect they just went for the harness but since I never made a jump like that so I really don't know. I never had a malfunction in my 193 jumps, and I cannot remember anyone having one malfunction, but I do know about one guy who deployed a reserve while under a main. Both inflated but since they were spilling so much air he hit the ground a bit hard.
@@formerparatrooper Good stuff! Technically it wasn't a malfunction but I went through the risers of the other jumpmaster as we both exited the plane at the same time. He got the opening shock before I did and as I passed through, it shredded my main as it deployed. Since I was JM during in-flight rigging I had my harness very loose and I couldn't get to my reserve in a twisted harness.
You'd be surprised how much resistance a shredded canopy provides versus nothing at all. I bounced but survived. I was also a towed jumper for about two seconds but I just got a busted lip out of that.
Godspeed buddy!
@@davidhollenshead4892 it takes about 225 to 275 feet for a full canopy deploy, and even with a reserve if you have a malfunction and go for it, you will still be the first person at the scene of the accident
@@j3dwin I had a number of landings less than desired, I hooked a PC too close to the ground in Austria and broke an ankle. I barely missed a burned out tree in West Africa, a hard full equipment landing at Ft. Campbell during a night operation, I think we were dropped low because I wasn't under canopy for more than 30 seconds. Ah, the log book--memories I guess, not worth anything to anyone except those who have one. AIRBORNE
I arrived at Fort Bragg in early 1984. The 82nd Airborne was still pumped up about Grenada.
The 82nd's participation was fairly light duty. I had buddies that felt guilty for earning a CIB without firing a single shot. But it had been a long time since we had a live fire exercise downrange so it was good for morale.
I arrived n the 82nd in late 1984. C company, 1/325
@@johnnyjohnson848 I was a leg, and heard about it every time I walked around post. :-)
sillyone52062 sorry about that
@@sillyone52062 I bet that was bad. I was not a leg but on the way to in-processing I hadn't been issued my red beret yet and was catching all kind of grief.
1982 - C Co. 2/504
My best friend is a leg Sergeant Major at Ft. Bragg now. He was a marine for 10 years so he doesn't give a sh&t.
I had a history teacher who took part in the invasion of Grenada. In his case his experience was jumping off a plane and two weeks later boarding a boat to leave. More interestingly he told me about being apart of operations in Nicaragua and helping train the regime's soldiers the Contras. He, as a devout Reaganite as well, stated flat out that it was a waste of his and the US government's time. That he was training thugs to fight other thugs and in the mix was nothing but peasants and children. In fact according to him their average load out in that base was mainly blanks because the Sandinista rebels generally consisted of 14-16 year old kids who'd pop out of the jungle, fire off a few rounds, and retreat. What he told me bothered him the most was the women and children who'd surround the gates and checkpoints begging for food, even offering sexual favors for food. The experience demoralized him so much that he sacrificed his military career to leave.
Thank you so much for sharing Mark. I've always wanted to learn about the small yet deadly conflicts that happened in the '70s, '80s, and '90s as well. Very happy to see that you cover such a broad spectrum of war/conflict. You keep up the videos and I promise you I will keep watching.
Great video ! I love this channel. I’ve been subscribed for a year now. You will have 1 million subs in no time😁
Ah yes, the perfect video to watch before Going to bed.
Hits the spot every time 🙂
How about a video on the HMS Thetis sub tragedy just before war broke out in 1939, and then being lost with all hands for a second time. Must've taken some guts to serve on a sub that had already sunk once. There's a couple of Pathe news reels about it available. Would love to see you work your magic with it.
Margaret Thatcher had a few things to say about this.
HMQ was not too pleased as well.
So what? She didn't do anything so the US did. Too many American lives were at stake.
I imagine that HM's government would prefer a democratic regime to one controlled by Castro. The UK did not have enough money to cover a proper Commonwealth invasion.
@Jose Raul Miguens Cruz You can't be sure of that. All of those Americans would have been hostages. Look at other communist takeovers and all the slaughters that took place afterwards. No, their lives were definitely at risk.
Mrs. Thatcher didn't like how it was handled, with Reagan not getting her blessing first, but she was happy enough with the outcome. Another scumbag communist dictatorship shut down.
Your Channel remind me of the History Channel in the early 2000s when I was growing up before it went to aliens and pawn shops
Thanks fo sharing this. A very good friend was in on this landing.