40th Anniversary Operation EAGLE CLAW 🇺🇸

[chuckman]

Reagan would have won even without the polarity of Iran/Eagle Claw, and his focus would have remained on the USSR. Eagle Claw was a watershed event that paved the way to an extraordinary boom in unified SOF operations, training, and money. But Kyle's book and Beckwith's book really did show a lot of fundamental weaknesses in not only the SOF at the time but also the bigger military as well. I wonder had Eagle Claw not happened, what would that seminal event have been? Would there have been one? Grenada? I think the unification and separate command would have happened eventually.

I was...11 1/2 when this happened, and although I was destined to serve (what with my dad having been in the Marines, both grandfathers and great-grandfathers having served, too), it was Eagle Claw, followed by Grenada, Beirut, Panama, and the Banana Wars in El Salvador that cemented my desire to serve.

[Slater]

If Eagle Claw hadn't happened, wonder how much longer Delta could have remained anonymous?

[chuckman]

If Eagle Claw hadn't happened, wonder how much longer Delta could have remained anonymous?

Great question. Maybe if LAV comes back on this thread he can opine. I think back then without the 24/7 news cycle and electronic media it was easier to remain in the shadows. SEALs and SF were still hush-hush.

[Sam]

The invasion of Greneda was in 1983 and Panama in 1989. The Army and Naval Special Ops units were highly prominent in both of those conflicts. I guess the genie would have been out of the bottle in those situations had Desert One didn't happen.

[OH58D]

The invasion of Greneda was in 1983 and Panama in 1989. The Army and Naval Special Ops units were highly prominent in both of those conflicts. I guess the genie would have been out of the bottle in those situations had Desert One didn't happen.

For Urgent Fury in October of '83, it was classified that we used Navy ships for landing, refueling and dropping off of casualties. Just utilizing Navy ships as repeaters for comms was classified as well. For me it was the first time I'd ever flown over open ocean.

[ABNAK]

For Urgent Fury in October of '83, it was classified that we used Navy ships for landing, refueling and dropping off of casualties. Just utilizing Navy ships as repeaters for comms was classified as well. For me it was the first time I'd ever flown over open ocean.

And IIRC Urgent Fury showed still more that needed to be done to synch SOCOM into harmony. Panama went a little smoother.

[Slater]

I believe it was during Urgent Fury that a Navy A-7E strafed elements of the 82nd Airborne, resulting in several dead and wounded.

[SteyrAUG]

On the same aspect of the Jane Fonda and John Kerry generation. By the time Desert Storm rolled around, I think you had millions of American parents that served in Vietnam that weren't going to allow their children to act the fool like they saw upon their return. As well as millions more that had seen what their brothers had undergone upon their return and weren't going to stand for it. They weren't going to allow their children to treat veterans like the generation before had been treated. I think that's when people really started to realize they can object to the war, but leave the warrior out of it.

Absolutely, I think that is really where "thanks for your service" became a common thing.

[OH58D]

I believe it was during Urgent Fury that a Navy A-7E strafed elements of the 82nd Airborne, resulting in several dead and wounded.

That was an 82nd tactical operations center with some Marines embedded, and the latter relayed some bad info to the Navy pilots. I was thinking it was only 1 killed with several wounded.

[Slater]

That was an 82nd tactical operations center with some Marines embedded, and the later relayed some bad info to the Navy pilots. I was thinking it was only 1 killed with several wounded.

I think you're right. The A-7's also hit a mental institution and killed 18 (?) patients. Those boys were busy.