40th Anniversary Operation EAGLE CLAW 🇺🇸

[Slater]

From the official history, regarding the 82nd's preparations:

"The men drew double basic loads of M16 ammunition, but most individuals were not issued grenades because of concerns of having grenades on board the flight to Grenada."

Out of curiosity, is this still policy as pertains to frags and inflight safety?

[chuckman]

This is an understatement. We were called up at the last minute at Fort Campbell, and a lot of the pilots were off duty and off base. Those of us available were told where we were flying to Pope AAF but no other details. They handed out .38 Smith & Wesson revolvers, but they didn't have enough to go around. I volunteered my S&W Model 66 from home and was approved by the Colonel. We gassed up and flew to the Ashville, NC airport and topped off the tank, then on to Fort Bragg where the fuel off load and breakdown of the aircraft started happening prior to loading on the transport planes. Normally two pilots in the choppers but since all hadn't been located, some of the choppers flew there with just one.

The pilots back at Fort Campbell were found, and cars were rented for them to make the drive to Fort Bragg. We got to spend time in a hanger and listen to Pentagon Intel folks describe the mission, and they reported that the news media found out the Independence Carrier group was en-route to the Caribbean so any OPSEC was lost.

One memorable thing that still sticks with me was a Black Air-Force load master interacted with me and said the heat in the plane I was going to Barbados in was broken- no heat in the back. He asked me if I had a warm jacket. I told him I only had my flight suit. He disappeared for a few minutes then returned with an Air Force heavy duty cold weather lined jacket. He was going to write my name in the collar but my name was too long so he only put LT and C for my last name. I still have that jacket.

Thanks for sharing. You have a very unique insight into that op and I love reading your perspectives.

[OH58D]

Thanks for sharing. You have a very unique insight into that op and I love reading your perspectives.

Whenever I discuss Urgent Fury, I have to always relate the loss of a close friend and fellow pilot, CPT Keith Lucas. My first aviation assignment out of air frame school was Fort Huachuca. I was flying the OH-6 at the time with classified radar jamming gear from Libby AAF to Laguna AAF at Yuma Proving Grounds, doing various routes and patterns testing the effectiveness of the equipment. They were also testing it in different air frames.

Keith Lucas was a pilot there and him and his wife and me and my wife hung out a lot. We were in the same building of base housing at Huachuca. Keith got assigned to TF 160 before me and he put in a word to the commander, Col. Terrence Henry, that he knew of a pilot would would be good for their Regiment. Col. Henry flew to Huachuca to interview me, then we went on a 45 minute or so flight around the Huachuca Mountains, asking me to demonstrate some of my flight skills. After returning to base, he asked if I wanted to join the 160th, and I was transferred a month later in June of 1983.

CPT. Keith Lucas was the only TF 160 pilot killed in Grenada. My wife and I are still in contact with his wife and two daughters.

[WillBrink]

Whenever I discuss Urgent Fury, I have to always relate the loss of a close friend and fellow pilot, CPT Keith Lucas. My first aviation assignment out of air frame school was Fort Huachuca. I was flying the OH-6 at the time with classified radar jamming gear from Libby AAF to Laguna AAF at Yuma Proving Grounds, doing various routes and patterns testing the effectiveness of the equipment. They were also testing it in different air frames.

Keith Lucas was a pilot there and him and his wife and me and my wife hung out a lot. We were in the same building of base housing at Huachuca. Keith got assigned to TF 160 before me and he put in a word to the commander, Col. Terrence Henry, that he knew of a pilot would would be good for their Regiment. Col. Henry flew to Huachuca to interview me, then we went on a 45 minute or so flight around the Huachuca Mountains, asking me to demonstrate some of my flight skills. After returning to base, he asked if I wanted to join the 160th, and I was transferred a month later in June of 1983.

CPT. Keith Lucas was the only TF 160 pilot killed in Grenada. My wife and I are still in contact with his wife and two daughters.

Are you at liberty to say what happened?

[OH58D]

Are you at liberty to say what happened?

It's a part of the public record now, but he was shot by Cuban manned AA, maintaining control until the operators were totally free of the aircraft before succumbing. His co-pilot, Warrant Officer Paul Price was also hit, but managed to fly the UH-60 to an adjacent ridge before taking more AA and the aircraft went down. They had been supporting Delta fast rope insertions. Price retired some years back as a CW5.

I have not been back to Grenada, but there is a monument there which was made out of his main rotor mast. His wife and daughters have visited the site. Keith is buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

[WillBrink]

It's a part of the public record now, but he was shot by Cuban manned AA. His co-pilot, Warrant Officer Paul Price was also hit, but managed to fly the UH-60 to an adjacent ridge before taking more AA and the aircraft went down. They had been supporting Delta fast rope insertions. Price retired some years back as a CW5.

I have not been back to Grenada, but there is a monument there which was made out of his main rotor mast. His wife and daughters have visited the site. Keith is buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

I hope the AA and its operators were converted to pink mist shortly there after.

[ABNAK]

Guy from another company in my battalion in Panama, SGT Pack, was in the first wave of Ranger jumpers at Point Salines airport. Dude was really cool and laid back, given that he was an E-5 from Ranger Batt, tabbed, mustard stain on the jump wings, CIB, etc.

SGT Pack said the first pass he was in was cut short, but not before he and a number of other guys jumped out. The aircraft abruptly banked and turned away, the sky not filled with the usual hundreds of chutes he was used to seeing on a mass-tac jump. He looked around and thought "WTF? Did they just friggin' leave us???" Turns out the first pass came in just high enough that the 23mm guns on the hillside above the airport could shoot right at them; subsequent passes went in even lower below the level which the gunners could depress their barrels. Affable guy that he was he made the story sound funny, yet I'll bet it was anything but funny at the time!

[OH58D]

I hope the AA and its operators were converted to pink mist shortly there after.

I saw the aftermath - The Rangers took care of that particular location.

CPT Lucas received the Distinguished Flying Cross posthumously for keeping his UH-60 stable to offload his operator group despite him being hit 5 times. Co-Pilot Price was shot in the head but was able to put the damaged aircraft down, even though it rolled. I was a 23 year old 1LT flying an OH-6 and was co-pilot in the left seat with a CW-4 pilot and 'Nam vet.

[WWhunter]

Seems like the topic of this thread vered off a bit of the original intent.

I had first gotten to Hurlburt Field in 1979 (dating myself) and was still there at the time of the operation. We lost several good men during the rescue attempt. Sad situation for the entire base as many people were involved and directly affected. Also those of us that were subsequently preparing for the second attempt, were training at a high tempo. The second attempt, which of course was cancelled due to the captives release, was in planning almost immediately following the disaster.

I will have to restate what Mr. Larry Vickers mentioned....the entire Special operations community got a huge increae in exposure and funding due to the results of the attempt. Almost instantly our operations budget was greatly increased along with equipment. I think America was finally waking up! I don't post much, but certain posts cause me to reflect on the past and give thanks to those that sacrificed all. RIP brothers.

[OH58D]

Seems like the topic of this thread vered off a bit of the original intent.

I had first gotten to Hurlburt Field in 1979 (dating myself) and was still there at the time of the operation. We lost several good men during the rescue attempt. Sad situation for the entire base as many people were involved and directly affected. Also those of us that were subsequently preparing for the second attempt, were training at a high tempo. The second attempt, which of course was cancelled due to the captives release, was in planning almost immediately following the disaster.

I will have to restate what Mr. Larry Vickers mentioned....the entire Special operations community got a huge increae in exposure and funding due to the results of the attempt. Almost instantly our operations budget was greatly increased along with equipment. I think America was finally waking up! I don't post much, but certain posts cause me to reflect on the past and give thanks to those that sacrificed all. RIP brothers.

When I joined TF 160 in June 1983, they were still in a building phase, years after Eagle Claw. The whole Special Operations community was still in a building phase, with various levels of success. Without going into too many details, in the early to mid 1980's, the Special Operations Community had issues with funding, cross-branch coordination, communications and command and control. That extended to the Intel community as well - everything was compartmentalized. By the late 90's when I retired, it had gotten better, but not perfect. Even 9/11 was a result of a compartmentalized Intel community not sharing information.