AMERICAN AND COMMUNIST CUBA MONUMENTS

In a foreign country stands two monuments less than 300 hundred meters apart that represent fallen men from two very different ideologies. It was the height of the cold war and both countries sent men into harm’s way to fight and die in this tiny island nation. One county hoped that the revolution here would be the spark that would ignite an explosion of socialism all over the west. The other country would do everything in its power to put that spark out so that nations could remain free. In this article, I’ll tell you about the Memorial to the Fallen, which honors the nineteen American troops that died here. I’ll also tell you about the Memorial to the Cuban Internationalist Martyrs that honors the twenty-four Cubans that were killed on the Caribbean nation of Grenada.

Now back to the monuments. This conflict has been overlooked or forgotten by many, but those of you that are old enough might remember this obscure U.S. military operation in 1983 that was codenamed “Operation Urgent Fury”. The fighting lasted only eight days, and all the U.S. troops were gone within fifty-one days. The operation was the highlight of movie “Heartbreak Ridge” where Clint Eastwood played Gunny Highway, and to old jarheads like me it is one of our favorite Marine movies.

We don’t have time in this video to tell the story of the conflict, but I’ll give you a brief synopsis. In 1974, Grenada gained its independence from the United Kingdom and from that point on, the new nation struggled with political conflict. Support for Marxist organizations were growing, and the situation was becoming bloody. The Cubans and the Soviets were getting involved and President Reagan knew that this flame must be extinguished before it got out of hand. When the fighting was over, six hundred eighty-four Americans, Grenadians, Cubans, and Soviets were killed, wounded, or injured. These monuments honor some of the fallen.

Just outside of the Maurice Bishop International Airport stands “The Memorial to the Fallen in Grenada” which is proudly dedicated to the military of the United States. It is made up of two strong crossed arches surrounded by concrete filled steal posts that once were the base for a strong picket fence. At each of the four corners stand or stood two concrete benches. The monument was commissioned by President Ronald Reagan, and he was present in 1986 for its dedication. The monument was restored in 2006, but sadly, the monument is currently in desperate need of repair. The VFW plaque laid in 1995 sums up the monument best. It states, “To honor those members of the United States Military who, through commitment and sacrifice, returned freedom to Grenada”.

On top of the hill, just about 200 yards away stands the “Memorial to the Cuban Internationalist Martyrs”. The monument is a platform painted red with a communist star in the middle. Above the star is a concrete Cuban flag and the main plaque. The main plaque states “In memory of the 24 Cuban internationalists who fell here defending a noble cause”. It lists the names of the Cubans who died in the conflict and then a quote from a man most will be familiar with. It states, “In that trench, they knew they were also defending their people and their country. The plaque is ironically written in English and that fact can be interpreted different ways. Surrounding the monument are memorials to each of the twenty-four Cubans who died in the conflict. The monument was completed and dedicated in 2017 and is said to be a symbol of friendship between the peoples and the governments of Cuba and Grenada.

So now we know the story of both of these monuments. What do you think? Did you know that they even existed? Also, be sure to see our other two articles from Grenada, and our Caribbean history playlist! We are proud to tell you about these historic sites with all of you. Be sure to see the from here below.

– Col. Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts