1965 Invasion of the Dominican Republic
The US Occupation of the Dominican Republic, 1965
SGM Herbert A. Friedman (Ret.)
In 1930, Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo won the presidency of the Dominican Republic. He was a dictator of the worse sort whose National Guard (Guardia) took part in terror, murder, torture, and repression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "He is a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch." Trujillo's 31-year dictatorship ended with his assassination in 1961. Trujillo loyalist Joaquin Balaguer then assumed the presidency. Balaguer's term lasted until December 1962, when he resigned under pressure. Juan Bosch, the head of the Dominican Revolutionary Party was then elected and inaugurated in February 1963. His pro-Castro sentiments and left-leaning politics led to a military coup seven months later by an archconservative faction of the military led by Colonel Elias Wessin y Wessin.
Wessin controlled the Centro de Entrenamiento de las Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces Training Center), an elite group of about 2000 highly trained infantry that unlike the regular army units was supplied with tanks, recoilless rifles and artillery. It was an independent organization formed to protect the government and keep watch over the Army, Navy and Air Force. He declared, "The Communist doctrine, Marxist-Leninist, Castroite, or whatever it is called, is now outlawed." Later a civilian triumvirate ruled the nation. The new leaders quickly abolished the constitution, declaring it "nonexistent." Although some believed that the United States had supported the coup, the U. S. government refused to recognize the new military government.
The two years that followed were filled with strikes and conflicts. On 24 April 1965, a group within the Army, led by Col. Francisco Caamano Deno rose up against the triumvirate and attempted to restore Juan Bosch to the presidency. This action was accelerated when chief of staff of the Dominican Army, General Marcos A. Rivera Cuesta attempted to arrest four army "conspirators," but was himself arrested. The pro-Bosch rebels known as Constitutionalists, took to the streets, seized the national palace and the Government radio and television stations in Santa Domingo, and demanded Bosch's return. By 3:00 in the afternoon Santo Domingo's streets were filled with looting and lawlessness as the Soviet-oriented Dominican Revolutionary Party, and the Castroite 14th of June Revolutionary Party armed their members. Bands of teenagers (Los Tigres) swarmed through Santo Domingo shooting any policemen they could find. The pro-government forces, called Loyalists, attempted to defend the old regime but were outgunned and outmanned. Both sides were heavily armed and civilians were caught in the crossfire. Washington began immediate preparations for the evacuation of its citizens and other foreign nationals who might wish to leave the Dominican Republic.
Fearing another Cuba on America's doorstep, President Lyndon Johnson ordered U.S. forces to restore order and sent a fleet of 41 vessels to blockade the island. In April, 2015, Stars and Stripes added on the 50th Anniversary of the invasion:
With loyalists and rebels fighting over control of the capital of Santo Domingo and fears of a “second Cuba” to America's south, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered Marines and paratroopers to the country. The leader of U.S. forces in Santo Domingo was the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Lt. Gen. Bruce Palmer. According to the U.S. Department of State's Office of the Historian, Palmer had a stated and unstated mission.
“Your announced mission is to save U.S. lives. Your unannounced mission is to prevent the Dominican Republic from going communist. The president has stated that he will not allow another Cuba - you are to take all necessary measures to accomplish this mission. You will be given sufficient forces to do the job.”
400 Marines were ordered to the Dominican Republic on 27 April as part of Operation Power Pack. The United States convinced the Organization of American States (OAS) to form an inter-American military force to intervene in the Dominican Republic on 28 April 1965. Later, the Inter-American Peace Force (IAPF) was formally established on May 23. In addition to the United States military presence, the following troops were sent by each country; Brazil 1130, Honduras 250, Paraguay 184, Nicaragua 160, Costa Rica 21 military police, and El Salvador 3 staff officers. The South American troops were so weak, ill-trained and poorly supplied that a Navy Admiral asked that no further OAS troops be deployed in the Dominican Republic "Until they are equipped to exist and function in the field." 2,200 paratroopers of the U.S Army's 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived on 29 April. The 1st Brigade and elements of the 11th Air Assault Division joined them later on 4 May. The 6th Marine Expeditionary Unit was landed in strength. Eventually, a force of 23,000 U.S. troops was in-country. By the end of the operation 27 U.S. troops were killed in action, including 13 82nd Airborne paratroopers.
President Johnson stated in a television address:
The United States Government has been informed by the military authorities in the Dominican Republic that American lives are in danger. These authorities are no longer able to guarantee their safety and they reported that the assistance of military personnel is now needed for that purpose.
The American troops occupied the Dominican Republic to stabilize conditions on the island and prevent a takeover by Marxist rebels. By May 14, the American had enforced a safety zone. Road blocks were established and patrols ran continuously.
Major William E. Klein discusses the military aspect of the operation in an article entitled “Stability Operations in Santo Domingo,” INFANTRY, July-August 2004. Readers who are interested in the “Lessons Learned” aspect of the battle within the city of Santo Domingo are urged to read this article. He says in part:
The outbreak was primarily confined to the city of Santo Domingo, where the rebels, influenced by a strong Communist element, had issued guns and ammunition to civilians. Most of the Americans and foreign nationals fled to the Ambassador Hotel, located on the western edge of the city. It was this hotel which was the original objective of the Marines who poured ashore on Red Beach, near Jaina Port, approximately 20 kilometers west of the city. About the same time, two airborne infantry battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division landed at San Isidro airfield, some 12 kilometers east of the city.
Lieutenant General Bruce Palmer Jr., sent in to assume command of the U.S. forces in the Dominican Republic…recommended the rapid establishment of a line of communications between the two units. The plan was approved by higher headquarters on 2 May…in a surprise midnight move, the 82nd Airborne Division, commanded by Major General Robert H. York, stretched five battalions through the city to link up with the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
The troopers and Marines began to improve their defensive positions on a continuing basis and controlled the flow of traffic in and out of the rebel zone by sealing off all roads and alleyways, except for seven check points. There was no restriction as to entering or leaving the zone except that weapons and ammunition could not be carried in or out. The rebels tried many tricks at first, such as attempting to run the checkpoints in ambulances without being searched, and later they attempted to hide the weapons underneath wounded they were evacuating. Gradually, their undercover methods were discovered and the arms exodus was reduced substantially.
Speaking of the 82nd, Power Pack, Dominican Republic, 1965-1966 adds:
After 4 May 1965, the 82nd Aviation Battalion provided support for units of the division in the form of extensive aerial reconnaissance, medical evacuation, loudspeaker and leaflet drop missions, airlift or personnel and cargo, command control missions, classified missions into the interior for the U. S. Embassy and Special Forces, and provision of airlift for a platoon quick reaction force.
One of the most important missions during these early days was civil affairs. It was crucial to get the starving populace fed, the streets cleaned, water and electrical services restored, medical aid supplied to the needy, and to find adequate solutions to myriad other problems. It was one thing to accomplish these tasks in a peaceful environment and quite another to work at them under the constant harassment of sniper fire.
The situation improved gradually throughout the month of May, and in June the President announced the withdrawal of all the Marines. The 82nd Airborne Division then occupied the entire perimeter and held it until the Latin America contingent began to assume some of the security and peacekeeping missions.
Some 6,500 people from many nations were evacuated to safety. In addition, the US forces airlifted in 8 million tons of relief supplies for Dominican Nationals. The fighting continued until 31 August 1965 when a truce was declared. Most American troops left shortly afterwards, but some remained until September 1966.
Although there is some dispute about the actual numbers, by the end of the invasion, more than 3,000 Dominicans and 24 American servicemen had lost their lives. Another 156 Americans were wounded. Trujillo loyalist Joaquin Balaguer was eventually returned to power and ruled with an iron fist for many years afterwards.
Although the fighting was mostly small arms fire in an urban environment, there was at least one “sea battle.” The Stars and Stripes adds:
Paratroopers with the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment sank the 350-foot freighter SS Santo Domingo in the early days of the conflict with a 106 mm recoilless rifle after rebels used the ship to stage attacks on U.S. troops. A telegram from the U.S. State Department the evening of May 6, 1965, noted the incident:
“Despite cease-fire sporadic sniper fire at US forces continues” it read. “Rebels have been using small boats in river as sniper positions. US forces returning fire sank one small boat and set fire to freighter.”
In a later legal battle between the ship's owners and its insurers in New York federal court, court documents detail the freighter had been abandoned by its crew after returning to its namesake port amid the civil war. The court documents, from Flota Mercante Dominicana vs. American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Co., said that after the crew fled, the freighter was briefly taken over by members of the national police before again being abandoned, this time to rebel forces.
The new occupants of the ship used it to direct fire at paratroopers who had taken up positions on the other side of the Ozama River. Exchanges of gunfire came to an end when the Americans resorted to the use of 106 mm explosive shells, which burned and sank the ship.
SGM Herbert A. Friedman (Ret.)
In 1930, Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo won the presidency of the Dominican Republic. He was a dictator of the worse sort whose National Guard (Guardia) took part in terror, murder, torture, and repression. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, "He is a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch." Trujillo's 31-year dictatorship ended with his assassination in 1961. Trujillo loyalist Joaquin Balaguer then assumed the presidency. Balaguer's term lasted until December 1962, when he resigned under pressure. Juan Bosch, the head of the Dominican Revolutionary Party was then elected and inaugurated in February 1963. His pro-Castro sentiments and left-leaning politics led to a military coup seven months later by an archconservative faction of the military led by Colonel Elias Wessin y Wessin.
Wessin controlled the Centro de Entrenamiento de las Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces Training Center), an elite group of about 2000 highly trained infantry that unlike the regular army units was supplied with tanks, recoilless rifles and artillery. It was an independent organization formed to protect the government and keep watch over the Army, Navy and Air Force. He declared, "The Communist doctrine, Marxist-Leninist, Castroite, or whatever it is called, is now outlawed." Later a civilian triumvirate ruled the nation. The new leaders quickly abolished the constitution, declaring it "nonexistent." Although some believed that the United States had supported the coup, the U. S. government refused to recognize the new military government.
The two years that followed were filled with strikes and conflicts. On 24 April 1965, a group within the Army, led by Col. Francisco Caamano Deno rose up against the triumvirate and attempted to restore Juan Bosch to the presidency. This action was accelerated when chief of staff of the Dominican Army, General Marcos A. Rivera Cuesta attempted to arrest four army "conspirators," but was himself arrested. The pro-Bosch rebels known as Constitutionalists, took to the streets, seized the national palace and the Government radio and television stations in Santa Domingo, and demanded Bosch's return. By 3:00 in the afternoon Santo Domingo's streets were filled with looting and lawlessness as the Soviet-oriented Dominican Revolutionary Party, and the Castroite 14th of June Revolutionary Party armed their members. Bands of teenagers (Los Tigres) swarmed through Santo Domingo shooting any policemen they could find. The pro-government forces, called Loyalists, attempted to defend the old regime but were outgunned and outmanned. Both sides were heavily armed and civilians were caught in the crossfire. Washington began immediate preparations for the evacuation of its citizens and other foreign nationals who might wish to leave the Dominican Republic.
Fearing another Cuba on America's doorstep, President Lyndon Johnson ordered U.S. forces to restore order and sent a fleet of 41 vessels to blockade the island. In April, 2015, Stars and Stripes added on the 50th Anniversary of the invasion:
With loyalists and rebels fighting over control of the capital of Santo Domingo and fears of a “second Cuba” to America's south, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered Marines and paratroopers to the country. The leader of U.S. forces in Santo Domingo was the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Lt. Gen. Bruce Palmer. According to the U.S. Department of State's Office of the Historian, Palmer had a stated and unstated mission.
“Your announced mission is to save U.S. lives. Your unannounced mission is to prevent the Dominican Republic from going communist. The president has stated that he will not allow another Cuba - you are to take all necessary measures to accomplish this mission. You will be given sufficient forces to do the job.”
400 Marines were ordered to the Dominican Republic on 27 April as part of Operation Power Pack. The United States convinced the Organization of American States (OAS) to form an inter-American military force to intervene in the Dominican Republic on 28 April 1965. Later, the Inter-American Peace Force (IAPF) was formally established on May 23. In addition to the United States military presence, the following troops were sent by each country; Brazil 1130, Honduras 250, Paraguay 184, Nicaragua 160, Costa Rica 21 military police, and El Salvador 3 staff officers. The South American troops were so weak, ill-trained and poorly supplied that a Navy Admiral asked that no further OAS troops be deployed in the Dominican Republic "Until they are equipped to exist and function in the field." 2,200 paratroopers of the U.S Army's 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division arrived on 29 April. The 1st Brigade and elements of the 11th Air Assault Division joined them later on 4 May. The 6th Marine Expeditionary Unit was landed in strength. Eventually, a force of 23,000 U.S. troops was in-country. By the end of the operation 27 U.S. troops were killed in action, including 13 82nd Airborne paratroopers.
President Johnson stated in a television address:
The United States Government has been informed by the military authorities in the Dominican Republic that American lives are in danger. These authorities are no longer able to guarantee their safety and they reported that the assistance of military personnel is now needed for that purpose.
The American troops occupied the Dominican Republic to stabilize conditions on the island and prevent a takeover by Marxist rebels. By May 14, the American had enforced a safety zone. Road blocks were established and patrols ran continuously.
Major William E. Klein discusses the military aspect of the operation in an article entitled “Stability Operations in Santo Domingo,” INFANTRY, July-August 2004. Readers who are interested in the “Lessons Learned” aspect of the battle within the city of Santo Domingo are urged to read this article. He says in part:
The outbreak was primarily confined to the city of Santo Domingo, where the rebels, influenced by a strong Communist element, had issued guns and ammunition to civilians. Most of the Americans and foreign nationals fled to the Ambassador Hotel, located on the western edge of the city. It was this hotel which was the original objective of the Marines who poured ashore on Red Beach, near Jaina Port, approximately 20 kilometers west of the city. About the same time, two airborne infantry battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division landed at San Isidro airfield, some 12 kilometers east of the city.
Lieutenant General Bruce Palmer Jr., sent in to assume command of the U.S. forces in the Dominican Republic…recommended the rapid establishment of a line of communications between the two units. The plan was approved by higher headquarters on 2 May…in a surprise midnight move, the 82nd Airborne Division, commanded by Major General Robert H. York, stretched five battalions through the city to link up with the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
The troopers and Marines began to improve their defensive positions on a continuing basis and controlled the flow of traffic in and out of the rebel zone by sealing off all roads and alleyways, except for seven check points. There was no restriction as to entering or leaving the zone except that weapons and ammunition could not be carried in or out. The rebels tried many tricks at first, such as attempting to run the checkpoints in ambulances without being searched, and later they attempted to hide the weapons underneath wounded they were evacuating. Gradually, their undercover methods were discovered and the arms exodus was reduced substantially.
Speaking of the 82nd, Power Pack, Dominican Republic, 1965-1966 adds:
After 4 May 1965, the 82nd Aviation Battalion provided support for units of the division in the form of extensive aerial reconnaissance, medical evacuation, loudspeaker and leaflet drop missions, airlift or personnel and cargo, command control missions, classified missions into the interior for the U. S. Embassy and Special Forces, and provision of airlift for a platoon quick reaction force.
One of the most important missions during these early days was civil affairs. It was crucial to get the starving populace fed, the streets cleaned, water and electrical services restored, medical aid supplied to the needy, and to find adequate solutions to myriad other problems. It was one thing to accomplish these tasks in a peaceful environment and quite another to work at them under the constant harassment of sniper fire.
The situation improved gradually throughout the month of May, and in June the President announced the withdrawal of all the Marines. The 82nd Airborne Division then occupied the entire perimeter and held it until the Latin America contingent began to assume some of the security and peacekeeping missions.
Some 6,500 people from many nations were evacuated to safety. In addition, the US forces airlifted in 8 million tons of relief supplies for Dominican Nationals. The fighting continued until 31 August 1965 when a truce was declared. Most American troops left shortly afterwards, but some remained until September 1966.
Although there is some dispute about the actual numbers, by the end of the invasion, more than 3,000 Dominicans and 24 American servicemen had lost their lives. Another 156 Americans were wounded. Trujillo loyalist Joaquin Balaguer was eventually returned to power and ruled with an iron fist for many years afterwards.
Although the fighting was mostly small arms fire in an urban environment, there was at least one “sea battle.” The Stars and Stripes adds:
Paratroopers with the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment sank the 350-foot freighter SS Santo Domingo in the early days of the conflict with a 106 mm recoilless rifle after rebels used the ship to stage attacks on U.S. troops. A telegram from the U.S. State Department the evening of May 6, 1965, noted the incident:
“Despite cease-fire sporadic sniper fire at US forces continues” it read. “Rebels have been using small boats in river as sniper positions. US forces returning fire sank one small boat and set fire to freighter.”
In a later legal battle between the ship's owners and its insurers in New York federal court, court documents detail the freighter had been abandoned by its crew after returning to its namesake port amid the civil war. The court documents, from Flota Mercante Dominicana vs. American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Co., said that after the crew fled, the freighter was briefly taken over by members of the national police before again being abandoned, this time to rebel forces.
The new occupants of the ship used it to direct fire at paratroopers who had taken up positions on the other side of the Ozama River. Exchanges of gunfire came to an end when the Americans resorted to the use of 106 mm explosive shells, which burned and sank the ship.