Grenada?

Assigned to take photos of an island he had never heard of before, Dad did some important work in the skies over Grenada. Below are both my Dad’s written words setting this story to paper in August 2020 and a video of our discussion about this time period.

IN HIS WORDS:

I returned from Korea on the 23rd of December one year and was told we brief the following morning and leave 26th of December for Warner-Robins AFB, Georgia. We were assured we would be home by New Year. From Robbins we flew photo missions to Central America during their civil wars. Our maps were great big blobs of Central America with no information and just said, “Terrain irreconcilable.” As days turned into weeks, we kept getting more tasking. We finally came home. We had accomplished two things. We produced photos Reagan used in support of his Central American policies and we taught our new female flight surgeon how to drink - not up to our standard, but a start.

…

We could occasionally take a T-38 on a weekend out and back. This time Ken Broda and I went to Patrick AFB, Florida, where we had some friends. Normal trips out and back and we went our separate ways on the ground. A few hours later, I got a call at my friend Judy’s house. “Hey Bob. When you going home?” “Tomorrow.” “No, you’re not; come to ops at 1000 tomorrow and call home to have your wife pack some clothes. Someone will pick up the bag and we will send it and your pressure suit by tomorrow.”

A couple days later, I was island hopping through the Caribbean to a little island I had never heard of - Grenada. I took pictures. A couple of days later, the invasion of Grenada happened and I was patrolling Cuba for any military reaction. Sometimes things sure happen fast.