Manny Noriega - Panama
I went to Officer Basic Course at FT Lee, VA after graduating college and getting my commission in 1989. Right after I arrived we were shut down for Christmas so I went home. I was watching TV on my parents living room floor and fell asleep. I like sleeping on the floor. I had the TV on Channel 8 ABC Tulsa that had Don Woods on the weather. Anyway, I woke up watching the US Invasion of Panama going after Manny Noriega. He was doing the same thing Marudo was doing with the drug trafficking and he wouldn't leave either. Bush 41 wasn't having it. So there I was watching a battle in real time from my parent's house on Christmas leave.
So I was assigned to FT. Bragg. After Officer Basic Course I went to Airborne School at FT. Benning, GA. Then I went to FT Bragg. When I got there I was assigned to a Company where in which one Lieutenant was refueling vehicles while getting shot at in Panama while I was watching it on TV. An E-6 Staff Seargent who was in a Graves Registration Platoon described how he jumped in with the 82nd Airborne Division and laid in the prone position for 6 hours because it was so chaotic. I did Group Guard Duty one night. I was the OIC. The NCOIC had served in Panama. He told me he and his family were due to transfer to FT. Bragg from Panama, but the invasion broke out. So, all of their household item were in a warehouse waiting to be transported. He said he had to call his wife and tell her he 'blew up their stuft'. A SNIPER was on top of the building. He had to go, and the 'stuff' didn't matter.
One guy was described as landing on the airstrip and broke his ankle...Combat jumps are only from 500 ft. At Airborne school it's 1200 ft. At 500 feet there is no room for mistakes or equipment or mental malfunctions. Another guy caught a 9mm round in his web gear. He was lucky it wasn't a 50 Cal ... he would uave been cut in half.
War is Hell. Amazing the Military and Law Enforcement were able to go into Venezuela, and catch and capture, and arrest a married couple in a city of 5 Million and didn't lose anyone.
"PANAMAAAAA" ~ David Lee Roth
BTW, Manny Noriega held out in the Vatican Embassy. The Army Phsyops Units played HEAVY METAL Music on BLAST until he was talked into leaving and surrendered.
#Panama #Venezuela #Noriega #Maduro