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2021.12.20

Operation Just Cause

32 Years Ago Today


The Flag of the United States of America The Flag of the United States of America

 

Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Operation Just Cause.

On the Atlantic side of the isthmus, the Panamanian Defense Forces, under the command of Gen. Manuel Noriega, operated out of Fort Espinar. A year later, I had orders to Panama, and would later be assigned to quarters on Ft. Espinar.

Noriega would be captured and become US prisoner #41586 (this was the headline of the edition of the Miami Herald that reported his capture). He was sentenced to 40 years for narcotics trafficking and money laundering. He passed away in May, 2017.

I did not have a role in the operation, but I knew some who did. I was a PO2 at the time, stationed in Florida, in the orbit of Miami. Miami was pretty involved in the aftermath, insofar as Gen. Noriega was brought to federal court there, plus of course South Florida has a very large Latin American community.

At this point in my life, only a few other memories stand out for me about Just Cause. The first was the horror of watching the SEAL team come ashore, courtesy of American news media. Several of us huddled around a TV set in astonishment. I remember what seemed to be "WTF?!" expressions on some of the operators’ faces as the team was greeted by news cameras — and their lights. That's what I meant when I used the word "horror"; to us, it seemed as though there was a massive hole in the operational security of the mission. Looking back, though it seemed completely disgraceful to us at the time, I suspect there were reasons for the publicity.

The second thing I remember is the condition of the PDF barracks on Ft. Espinar. The building was riddled with large holes and appeared abandoned. I was told the damage was from a firefight between the PDF and US forces. "Ni un paso atras" was painted on the building -— it was a phrase from Noriega’s campaign of increasing hostility toward the US.

The third thing that comes to mind is Chief Don McFaul. I knew him as a PO1 in California years before the operation. We actually stood watch together at one point. Chief McFaul fell at Paitilla Airfield, and became the namesake of a training range in Panama and, of course, USS MCFAUL DDG-74. If you look closely at the ship’s badge, you’ll see a shield resembling the national flag of Panama, and a trident in the style of the one featured on the Special Warfare insignia he earned and wore.

Rest In Peace, Chief McFaul.



personal statement

Humor posts aside, I only seek to understand the events I describe in these posts, and to form an opinion after considering the material I've gathered. I believe we need leaders in Washington to act in the best interest of the United States as a citizen nation of the world, and who represent the interests of the people they serve above the interests of party affiliation.