You in all probability know nation singer and Grand Ole Opry member Craig Morgan from his hits “That is What I Love About Sunday” and “Redneck Yacht Membership.” You might also know him for his assist of veteran causes and his intensive work with the USO. You could have even seen him this 12 months on the CBS competitors actuality present “Past the Edge.”
Morgan can also be an Army fight veteran who served throughout the 1989 invasion of Panama that ended with the arrest of that nation’s dictator, Gen. Manuel Noriega.
Morgan tells his story in a brand new memoir, “God, Household, Nation: A Memoir,” that he co-wrote with Jim DeFelice. DeFelice is greatest often known as the co-author of Chris Kyle’s “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Deadly Sniper in U.S. Navy Historical past” and Taya Kyle’s “American Spouse: “A Memoir of Love, Warfare, Religion, and Renewal,” however he is additionally labored with Army vets Mark Nutsch and Bob Pennington on the 2022 e-book “Swords of Lightning: Inexperienced Beret Horse Troopers and America’s Response to 9/11” and World Warfare II veteran Ray Lambert on “Each Man a Hero: A Memoir of D-Day, the First Wave at Omaha Seaside, and a World at Warfare.”
Word that Morgan did not staff up with one of many wonderful authors who focus on serving to musicians inform their tales in a e-book. He teamed with one of many best writers of military-themed books (each fiction and nonfiction) working immediately. That ought to offer you a clue as to the place Morgan’s coronary heart lies when telling his story.
Morgan served with the 82nd and one hundred and first Airborne Divisions throughout his greater than 10 years on energetic responsibility, however his fellow troopers knew him by his start identify, Craig Morgan Greer. He dropped the Greer when he began his music profession, and also you might need guessed there is a e-book out now that tells that story.
We have an important excerpt from “God, Household, Nation,” which is out there now. It is fairly lengthy however price each minute that it’s going to take so that you can learn it. There are a number of references to “Greer” within the textual content, and that is our man, Craig Morgan.
Excerpt from “God, Household, Nation” by Craig Morgan with Jim DeFelice
On December 15, [1989], Panama’s basic meeting handed a decision declaring that the nation was at struggle with the US. The identical day, Noriega declared himself “Most Chief” and made feedback strongly hinting that he deliberate on attacking Individuals and taking on the Canal Zone by power.
The subsequent evening, Panama Protection Drive (PDF) troops stopped a automobile pushed by a Marine captain, Richard Hadded, in downtown Panama Metropolis. When the PDF ordered Hadded and his three passengers, all servicemen, to get out of the automobile, they declined. The PDF soldier inserted {a magazine} into his AK-47.
Hadded hit the fuel. The Panamanian started firing. So did others at a second PDF guard station. By the point the Individuals reached security, Hadded and two passengers had been hit by a number of bullets. One of many passengers, Marine First Lieutenant Robert Paz, died at Gorgas Navy Hospital.
Two different Individuals, a Navy SEAL and his civilian spouse, had been detained by Panamanians after witnessing the incident. The pair had been crushed and the spouse assaulted whereas being questioned.
Individuals had been harassed within the weeks earlier than — the so-called police would usually cease civilians or troopers dressed as civilians and rob them. However that incident was the final straw. In Washington, President Bush licensed a plan to overthrow Noriega and permit the elected authorities to take over.
A day or two after Lieutenant Paz died, we obtained orders telling us we had been going into motion. By December 18, we had been set and prepared. Roughly twenty-seven thousand American servicepeople had been immediately concerned within the operations, which stretched throughout Panama however had been principally focused on the coasts.
The infantry unit we had been working with was a part of Process Drive Bayonet. Their goals included securing an American base, defending an space the place American dependents lived, and securing some roadblocks and police stations within the space of Ancon Hill and Balboa. The Panamanian Protection Drive and the police had appreciable males in that quadrant, which included the best terrain in Panama Metropolis. It was a big and strategic space.
Bayonet had a subtask group organized as Wildcat, which included me. The models had been directed to safe the grounds across the American command headquarters on Quarry Heights. Alpha Firm, 508 (Airborne), the group I used to be connected to as fireplace assist NCO, would land on a golf course close to residential models, collect up the dependents close by, and evac them to a protected place.
Totally different golf course, in case you are questioning.
We did not know the entire plan for the nation, in fact, and we weren’t privy even to the small print of the completely different process forces working close to us. We did hear lots, although. We knew a very good portion of the 82nd Airborne was coming in; we knew the Rangers could be there; we knew a SEAL staff had one thing occurring. They’d all be working close by. This was a giant present, the actual factor.
At zero darkish thirty (12:30, or half previous midnight) 19 December, we headed to the Black Hawk helicopters tasked to take us to the goal space. One factor struck me instantly as I boarded my plane: the seats had all been eliminated. That may permit for optimum flexibility — emergencies, extra passengers, no matter. The crew might pack in as many individuals as wanted. It was one thing you solely did in the event you’re in fight and anticipating the sudden.
I used to be tasked to face by the helicopter hatchway — the doorways had been off, changed with a security strap. After we landed, I might take away the strap and leap out, main the pack.
We began taking fireplace on the way in which in. One of many helicopters with us obtained hit dangerous. Broken, they needed to break off and discover a place for an emergency touchdown. My commander, a lieutenant, was aboard that helicopter. Wounded by the gunfire, he would find yourself out of motion not just for that evening however for months. That damage made me appearing commander that evening, and for the remainder of our time in Panama.
At that individual second, although, I did not know any of that. I used to be wanting down on the floor, attempting to not fall out of the plane.
“Sergeant Greer! Prepare!” yelled the crew chief.
I used to be greater than prepared. Adrenaline was flowing. I leaned ahead, able to get out and combat.
We had been coming in very popular. Muzzle flashes, tracers. Pop. Pop.
Bullets snapped towards and thru the metallic hull of the helicopter, however I could not register the sound; I had no concept what it was.
There was no time to determine it out. The bottom was getting actual huge beneath me.
“Now!” yelled a voice in my head. “We’re down.”
I pulled the hook off the door strap, waited a second, and jumped out. However the floor wasn’t fairly there.
Rattling.
I will need to have practiced the process I do not know what number of occasions.
And I might by no means misjudged the gap to the bottom earlier than. However this time I had — badly. We had been nonetheless twenty ft from the grass after I leapt out, anticipating to be not more than two or three.
I hit the bottom, rolled, and dislocated my proper shoulder. The fellows behind me, keying on me, got here out proper behind. They fell throughout me. Out of the nook of my eye, I noticed the tail wheel of the Black Hawk coming proper towards my head. All I might take into consideration was the rear rotor, spinning someplace above the wheel. A meat grinder.
I flattened. I do not know the place that rotor went, or precisely the place the helicopter set down; all I do know is it did not hit me.
I obtained up because the Black Hawk pulled off. My proper arm hung limp off my physique.
Harm like hell too.
Realizing it was dislocated, I attempted yanking my arm in place as I headed towards my place with the headquarters ingredient, the place I might be out there to name in fireplace assist if wanted. I nonetheless had my M16, however utilizing it with any form of authority was just about out of the query. I noticed a tree as I ran. May that assist?
I bumped into the tree as exhausting as I might, considering the impression would possibly hammer my shoulder again. I haven’t got to inform you, all that did was make it harm even worse.
There was gunfire all over the place. It was your traditional fight scenario — complicated as hell, darkish evening, everyone scrambling round attempting to determine precisely the place they had been and what was occurring.
I made it to the headquarters ingredient in time to listen to the commander give an order — “Shoot out the streetlights.”
Guys began popping off rounds. The realm obtained even darker, however someway much less confused.
“Hey, there’re American civilians right here. Watch out the place you are capturing!”
Our troopers moved in from the perimeter, gathering up the civilians and securing them in a protected space the place we might defend them. If there had been Panamanian forces there, they retreated fairly fast, and apart from the goal observe on the lights, issues calmed down shortly.
My shoulder nonetheless harm like hell. I discovered a light-weight pole and went again to my selfmade remedy, bashing towards the pole as I attempted to get the joint again in its socket.
“What are you doing?” shouted a soldier operating as much as me. I defined.
Turned out he was a medic.
“Lay down on the bottom,” he commanded.
I dropped. He grabbed my arm, wrapped it in a poncho liner for leverage, then put his foot in my crotch — none of this was light. He did another contortions, obtained a knee on my leg, and warned me that he was going to yank actual exhausting and that it would harm.
“Go forward,” I instructed him. What he was doing already harm. How a lot worse might it actually be?
Pop!
That a lot worse. Rattling!
However it was like a miracle. My arm snapped again into place. The ache — numerous it, anyway — was gone. I obtained up and resumed my put up. A 12 months later, I discovered that I had in all probability torn my rotator cuff after I dislocated the shoulder. However at that second, all I felt was reduction. I am undecided how a lot time handed, whether or not it was a couple of minutes or hours, however in some unspecified time in the future, a busload of Panamanian troopers tried driving up the highway within the route of the homes. They had been reduce down fast, bullets splaying by the automobile. The automobile went off the highway right into a ravine. Fearful that the bus may be booby-trapped or that Panamanians close by had been plotting an ambush, our commander on the scene determined nobody would go down till morning mild. So we held our place.
We might hear the groans and cries of a number of the injured by the evening. It could prove most had been lifeless by the point anybody obtained to the bus.
The realm was secured to the purpose the place the civilians might be bused out after which evacuated to an airstrip to be flown in another country the subsequent day. By then, I had moved with a number of the unit down towards the water, the place the navy had secured some twenty or thirty Panamanian Protection Drive troopers earlier. The PDF troopers — they weren’t sailors so far as we might inform — had been intercepted and delivered to shore close by, and the unit I used to be with was tasked to take them to some vehicles and transport them to an space arrange as a brief containment heart.
A sergeant main came visiting. “Hey, anyone converse Spanish?” I regarded round. Surprisingly, nobody did.
“Uh, I do, a little bit,” I admitted.
“Come.”
I went over to the Panamanians. They had been standing round, stripped bare. I assume you may’t blame the navy for not taking any possibilities.
“Sergeant Greer, inform them to place their garments on,” commanded the sergeant main.
I hesitated, desperately attempting to consider the best phrases. Prepared phrases like cómo estás appeared wildly inappropriate.
Pants. Pantalón.
Placed on. No. Take off . . .
My retailer of Spanish was shortly depleted with out noticeable impact.
Lastly, I resorted to a extra common language — I pointed to the pile the place their garments had been left, and mimed getting dressed. I obtained the concept throughout, however sadly with their arms tied, they’d a hell of a time even choosing up their garments, not to mention getting them on.
“Sergeant Greer, inform them to get their pants on!” demanded the sergeant main.
“I did!”
“Effectively, they’re gonna need assistance. Get it achieved!”
“Sure, Sergeant Main.”
I employed all of my coaching as an NCO to unravel the issue — in different phrases, I regarded round and located a personal.
“Assist these males, Personal!”
I grabbed three or 4 privates to help. They’d get the prisoners clothed, then stroll them over to the truck. Sadly, the troopers labored it out in order that because the prisoners arrived, they “inadvertently” bumped their heads towards the again of the truck. I did not catch on till the second or third loud smack. A minimum of one of many privates objected after I put an finish to it.
“Sergeant, these might have been the fellows capturing at us.”
I understood the angle, however that did not make smacking them round “by chance” proper. I discovered afterward that numerous the PDF members had been pressured to take the job within the first place. These guys, I feel, had in all probability tried operating away when the assault began, going AWOL as a result of they did not wish to combat and kill Individuals.
In some unspecified time in the future later that day — my private timeline has blurred a bit through the years, however I imagine I’ve the sequence right — my firm was assigned to protect the Presidential Palace, just a few blocks away in Panama Metropolis. It had been secured by the point we obtained there, however hadn’t been absolutely searched. We began going by methodically, working our method round. For some motive, a notion jumped into my head as we entered the room: Possibly there are booby traps.
“Whoa, maintain on,” I yelled as one of many guys went to open the primary door. “Higher verify for booby traps.”
Certain sufficient, a grenade was rigged to go off in one of many rooms. We proceeded rigorously after that.
Noriega had a stash of gold and cash within the palace; it had already been discovered and was being guarded. However nobody had gone by his mountain of Christmas items. We discovered one thing like forty bottles of champagne apparently earmarked for overseas supporters all over the world. Rumor has it {that a} bottle supposed for Muammar Gaddafi made its method from that stash into somebody’s non-public possession. And in keeping with stated rumor, the bottle was later relocated to someplace within the States, the place it now rests in a safe storage space.
In some unspecified time in the future sooner or later, I plan to pop it.
If I had been the one who ended up with it, that’s.
Sitting in Noriega’s workplace, at his desk, was unreal. There have been some
cigars in a humidor field, and I imagine a number of might need been smoked — somebody had to ensure they weren’t booby-trapped, you recognize?
I did not have a lot of an opportunity to benefit from the good lifetime of a dictator, as phrase quickly got here that members of the duty power close to Balboa DENI police station had been combating Panamanian forces there and wanted fireplace assist. I used to be the closest fireplace assist man, so I quickly put the rating NCO in control of the remainder of the groups and took off with my radioman.
Our first downside was getting there. Balboa DENI was at the least a mile or two away. The answer offered itself when a automobile appeared on the close by highway. We pulled the motive force over and noticed that he had a bunch of weapons within the automobile. Now, I do not know what all he was as much as. I can not say that he was going to make use of these weapons towards Individuals, or if he had some peaceable and logical motive for them. All I knew was that we needed to recover from to the police station as shortly as attainable. And I could not simply let him go.
We took the man, sure him, and put him within the trunk of the automobile. I figured we would get him over to the containment heart when no matter we needed to do at Balboa was achieved.
Actually, I did not assume there could be a lot to it, given all that had occurred up to now. However the firefight at Balboa after we arrived was hotter than a five-alarm barn fireplace. Effectively-armed Panamanian forces had holed up within the police complicated and had been placing up such a combat that the assault groups tasked with taking the constructing could not make any headway.
My radioman and I reported in, then discovered an overwatch constructing a couple of soccer area or so away from the police station the place I might get a very good learn on what was occurring.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than we obtained the order to herald “fireplace on the goal.” The solar had set, which meant we might depend on fireplace from an overhead gunship which had simply began circling above.
The AC-130 Spectre is a four-engined Hercules plane. Whereas most Hercules C-130s are primary cargo planes used to ferry troops or provides, AC-130s are armed with cannons. The precise configuration is dependent upon the plane mannequin, however no matter model, they pack a severe wallop. You don’t want to be on the receiving finish.
I began feeding the coordinates to the gunship. The primary shell from the Spectre’s 105 mm cannon hit the police station with a bang so loud my ears popped. I assumed our constructing was going to break down as a result of the bottom shook so dangerous.
They had been good, these air power boys. Artillery you give a grid, they usually hit something in that grid. Typically. You shut your eyes and hope for the very best, at the least in these days. However the Spectre shot with pinpoint accuracy. In the event that they missed, it was by a millimeter or two. factor, since we had been so shut. The fireplace management officer within the aircraft knew my place because of a strobe we had, besides — just a few levels off and I might have been 105 mm mud.
Humorous. You do not take into consideration that once you’re in the course of fight. You do not even take note of the bullets whizzing by when you’re calling in fireplace, or at the least I did not. It was solely later, when the solar got here up and the whole lot was calm that I spotted the fpppp and the klipppkit I might heard had been bullets passing just a few inches overhead.
Clearly not well-aimed, however inform that to the one which hits you.
Issues calmed down some after the AC-130 strike. There have been nonetheless Panamanians contained in the police constructing, although a lot of the survivors had been severely wounded. The roof had been blown off; numerous the concrete brick partitions had been shattered and tossed each which method. No home windows, no doorways anyplace.
Mayhem.
By the point our troops started clearing the constructing at sunup, the our bodies of a number of the lifeless had stiffened with rigor mortis. Warfare is thrilling, but it surely’s additionally a really ugly factor.
Do not forget that man we left within the trunk of the automobile?
We would forgotten all about him till the constructing was secured. We ran all the way down to the automobile and noticed it had taken shrapnel or bullets in some unspecified time in the future that evening. I cringed as I opened the trunk.
Our prisoner was respiration and untouched. Petrified, in all probability out of his thoughts, however alive.
We drove him over to a faculty getting used to course of potential prisoners and obtained him checked in. On the way in which out, a information reporter got here as much as us and began asking questions. I can not keep in mind precisely the way it went, but it surely should’ve been one thing alongside these strains:
“Excuse me, Sergeant, can I’ve a phrase?” “Uh, positive.”
“What are you doing?”
“Escorting a prisoner.”
“How do you assume the struggle’s going?”
Rattling good from my standpoint. I translated that sentiment into army converse: “I imagine now we have the scenario below management.”
“Did you get Noriega?”
I in fact had no concept. I translated that into army converse: “I am not at liberty to debate that.”
There have been a bunch extra questions. I popped out a pair extra “I am not at liberty to debate that,” supplemented by the occasional “I haven’t got that data,” earlier than managing to conclude the interview.
Actually, I might have fully forgotten about that incident apart from the truth that the interview ended up getting carried by some information stations and picked up by newspapers again within the States. Karen’s father in Texas was amongst those that caught a broadcast — as did Karen.
That was how Karen and the remainder of the household knew I used to be within the thick of issues when, not all that lengthy afterward, a US Army automobile pulled into Karen’s father’s driveway. A gentleman in uniform got here to the door.
Karen regarded out and noticed him. There’s just one motive an official military automobile involves a cherished one’s home, and it is not a really nice one.
“Daddy, I simply can’t reply,” she instructed her father.
Her father opened the door with a heavy coronary heart.
Karen could not hear what was stated at first, however quickly she felt as if she’d witnessed a miracle: The automobile pulled again out. They’d had the mistaken deal with.
As badly as she felt for the household of the person who’d been killed, she was grateful that it wasn’t me.
JUNGLE DUTY
Individuals say that your coaching kicks in in fight. It is the reality. You get within the movement of doing what needs to be achieved — what you’ve got achieved earlier than, what you understand how to do.
What you may’t do is let your thought course of intrude, not on the essential second. As a result of in the event you do, you will scare your self into doing one thing that’ll get you killed.
That is how I give it some thought now, wanting again. On the time, it was all simply taking place.
This was my first take a look at in fight, the actual crucible of a soldier. You by no means know the way you are going to react when the bullets fly till you face them. I feel we did effectively as a result of the lads who had educated us had achieved a very good job getting ready us. My staff handed a intestine verify, because of numerous different guys who confirmed us the way in which.
Of the various honors, badges, and awards you may obtain within the army, one of the vital is the Fight Infantryman’s Badge, or CIB. You will get it just one method — by being in fight. Up the place the bullets are flying, and also you’re combating again. Ordinarily, the CIB is issued solely to soldiers; it’s a must to be a “grunt” to get it. You are artillery — sorry, now we have different badges for you. Good ones, simply not CIBs.
However although we weren’t formally soldiers, we obtained orders following Panama authorizing us to put on the badge on our uniforms. And we definitely did. (I am guessing there’s an obscure regulation referring to our serving with infantry throughout the fight, however nobody ever bothered to indicate it to us.)
It might appear to be a little bit factor, however I cherish that badge. I used to be proud to put on it on my uniform, becoming a member of the ranks of males since World Warfare II who risked bullets and demise within the service of their nation. You’ll be able to by no means cut back your self to a ribbon or piece of metallic, however symbols are vital, and I drastically appreciated the consideration of carrying this one.
The combat was fast, however the US did take casualties, because the automobile that pulled into Karen’s dad’s driveway attests. Twenty-three males had been killed in motion, and one other 325 wounded. To the households of these courageous males, it wasn’t a straightforward struggle.
Panama additionally suffered casualties. Estimates go from 234 to 314, and people numbers aren’t anyplace close to as exact as they might look. Almost two thousand members of the forces dealing with us — whether or not members of the Protection Drive, police, or no matter — had been captured and held, at the least briefly. Process Drive Bayonet was credited with twenty-four enemies killed, 9 wounded. The power captured 463 Panamanians.
Organized resistance all through the nation wound down inside days if not hours of the preliminary assaults. A SEAL staff mission — one of many only a few that has ever been publicly acknowledged by the US — blew up Noriega’s yacht, the Presidente Porras, inside Balboa Harbor on the canal. One other staff destroyed his Learjet and different plane at Paitilla area, however met heavy resistance there earlier than finishing the mission; 4 Individuals died and eight had been wounded. Noriega, reduce off from escape, went into hiding on the Papal Nuncio, a constructing belonging to the Apostolic Nunciature, primarily an embassy complicated owned by the Catholic Church and its Holy See.
The US command determined that we could not simply cost onto the property and take him. So as a substitute we’d drum him out. Loudspeakers had been arrange, and for 2 days straight, the Nuncio and surrounding buildings shook to the loudest, most obnoxious rock music out there. There was numerous heavy metallic within the rotation, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, with the occasional Doorways and Bon Jovi music thrown in. Performed at teeth-shattering ranges, it was a PsyOp — a psychological operation, versus a bodily assault — with out parallel within the historical past of warfare.
Noriega surrendered on January 3, coaxed out by monks within the Nuncio, whom I believe had had sufficient of the music.
With Noriega corralled and the combating over, American troops started returning to the States. In early January, the 82nd Airborne returned to Fort Bragg, staging a fight bounce that caught numerous media consideration.
I noticed none of it. I had been tasked on one other mission, one involving the CIA and the Inexperienced Berets.
The small print of that mission are nonetheless hazy to me, and never simply because so a few years have handed since then. As sometimes occurs, data was handed out on a strict need-to-know foundation. Although I needed to work carefully with the bottom commanders, I apparently did not must know a lot. I did not even know the CIA was concerned till a few years later. Heck, I nonetheless do not formally know.
To not say that we did not form of know on the time. However there is a huge hole between “form of know” and “know for sure.” What I do know for sure is that this: the US needed to seek out some males who had been considered within the jungles on the border of Panama and Costa Rica. The folks we had been with had been supposed to seek out them.
We jumped on the border of Costa Rica — or extra probably just a few miles inside that nation — touchdown in a longtime touchdown zone. Established right here that means somebody regarded out of the plane and stated, “That appears like a sufficiently big clearing to land.”
We made the bounce with a minimal of trouble, organized on the bottom, after which pushed into the jungle. I imagine we had upward of a platoon of “common” military in assist. Clearly, they will need to have been airborne-qualified, however whether or not they had been from the 82nd or another unit at this level I can not recall. All of us wore B-1s — battle gown uniforms and jungle hats, your very primary fight work garments, with names and all insignia eliminated. I keep in mind old-style flak vests, however I feel they had been historic and lacked plates — simpler to maneuver with out all that weight.
Transferring by the jungle was . . . fascinating. I’ve by no means seen so many bugs in my life. Or monkeys. The monkeys would steal your pants off you in the event you weren’t cautious. Something not tied down at evening grew to become monkey property.
What spooked me, although, had been the vampire bats. We heard they’d fly down when you had been sleeping, chew you, and lick the blood off. One thing of their saliva acts as a numbing agent they usually get fairly a feast with out you even waking up.
After which there have been the snakes.
I am not saying the tales had been worse than the truth, however I did not get bit by a bat or snake whereas I used to be there.
As the fireplace assist man, I stayed near the Company operatives and SF guys. It wasn’t like within the motion pictures; none of that Rambo bravado. The Group guys had been low key, no identify tags, easy-going. (“Group” is one other identify for Special Forces, SF, or Inexperienced Berets. The nickname comes from the way in which the groups are organized, which is exclusive to Special Forces.) They weren’t a talkative bunch, however they had been pleasant sufficient, and just about accepted that we had been all professionals. Against this, the Company folks stored to themselves. You bought the concept they anticipated you to talk to them solely when spoken to, they usually weren’t about to talk to you.
We pushed by the jungle that evening, obtained some sleep, and continued the subsequent day. It was a protracted, sizzling march, however with out something occurring, till early that night when the advance staff got here to a bamboo wall.
We would walked with out warning to the sting of a village. Apparently, this was our goal, as a result of orders had been issued to arrange a fringe and put together to go in. There was at the least one plane flying someplace above — “on station” because the air power would put it — and I obtained able to name it in.
The SF and Company guys moved to the village entrance. I joined them, mentally calculating targets, grids, the whole lot I might want to inform an plane if issues obtained sizzling. One of many Company guys turned to me and requested if I used to be prepared. I am fairly positive it was the primary time he’d spoken to me because the operation began.
I ticked off a number of the plane we might name in if wanted; at the least one was on station with us the whole mission. “Simply inform me what you want.”
“Thanks,” was all he stated, however there was lots in that single phrase and the nod that accompanied it. It appeared fairly clear he’d achieved this earlier than. It additionally appeared fairly clear that he appreciated the concept we might nuke the place if obligatory.
Figuratively talking. So far as I do know.
The staff went in. I held again with one of many commanders, ready for gunfire, cautious to remain below cowl in case I wanted to name in assist.
Nothing.
Actually, nothing. The place was about as calm as a park on Sunday morning. There have been loads of folks, however no gunfire, no combating, no resistance. The locals shortly turned over two guys who weren’t a part of the village — apparently the fellows we would come to seek out.
The Company folks made everybody however me and two of the Group guys go away whereas the lads had been questioned. What precisely they stated, I don’t know. I am guessing it was vital data — proper? — about the potential for some guerrilla motion referring to Noriega, or possibly a insurgent group that had been working towards him. Actually, although, it might have been about something — baseball, the climate, vampire bats. All I do know is that when the dialog was over — and I do not imagine it lasted 5 minutes — the Company man was happy. Pleased, even.
“Pack up,” he stated.
And that was it. We did not even take the 2 guys with us. We marched on again to the world the place we would landed and had been picked up by helicopter the subsequent day.
Mission achieved, no matter it was.
From “God, Household, Nation” by Craig Morgan with Jim DeFelice. Used with the permission of the writer, Blackstone Publishing. Copyright ©2022 by Craig Morgan.
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