President Reagan's Day Trip to Grenada in 1986
On February 20, 1986, President Ronald Reagan made a brief but significant visit to Grenada to commemorate the third anniversary of the U.S.-led intervention on the Caribbean island. The military operation, launched in October 1983, aimed to overthrow a Marxist government, restore democracy, and protect American citizens following a violent coup. During his day trip, Reagan addressed a crowd in Grenada's capital, St. George's, expressing solidarity with the Grenadian people and celebrating the return of democratic governance. He highlighted the island's recovery and thanked U.S. forces for ensuring peace and stability. The visit underscored Reagan's commitment to countering communism in the Western Hemisphere and strengthening U.S.-Caribbean relations.
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I was assigned to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Development Office/Caribbean from 1983 to 1987 in my first foreign service posting. I was detailed to the White House advance team, working with the Secret Service to help construct security barriers. I accompanied a USAID team to Grenada two weeks before the President's trip. The team included (1) Jim Baird, our chief engineer; (2) John Johns, executive officer; and (3) Michael Huffman, program officer. We rented a house to set up our operation, and I remember John stocked the refrigerator with beer. There was good camaraderie and a sense of excitement. This was my first time working on an advance team for a presidential visit. I was assigned to work with a Secret Service agent. Nice guy. I really enjoyed working with him. At the end of the event, he gave me a key chain with the White House emblem. ​
My job on the advance team was supervising a crew building a barrier wall on both sides of a podium from which President Reagan would address the crowd. I enjoyed working with the Grenadian crew. We had to dig post holes for 140 20-foot-high posts, on which siding would be installed to prevent the president from being seen from the hills surrounding St. George. The objective was to prevent anyone from getting a clear shot at the president. We took the job seriously. I remember coming to the site one morning and having the watchman run up and tell me he had caught a man loosening the poles that had been set the day before. He called the police, and they questioned the man. He was apparently delusional and was released.
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We often ate out in Grenada during advance work. I remember an Italian restaurant that was quite good. Michael Huffman and I were friends outside work. We enjoyed our time in Grenada and discussed various scenarios for the day of the president's visit. For a moment, we would become the center of the universe, and there was the potential for a novel in this situation. President Reagan during his visit to Grenada on February 20, 1986, was accompanied by several key figures: (1) Governor-General Paul Scoon: As the representative of the British monarch in Grenada, Governor-General Scoon hosted President Reagan at the Governor General's residence; (2) Prime Minister Herbert Blaize - The Prime Minister of Grenada at the time, Blaize, declared a national holiday in honor of President Reagan's visit and expressed gratitude for the U.S. intervention in 1983; and (3) Prime Ministers of Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, and St. Lucia, met with President Reagan during his visit. He also brought his staff on this day trip, including Secretary of State George P. Shultz, National Security Advisor John M. Poindexter, and White House Communications Director Pat Buchanan.
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I remember the day of the visit. There was a carnival atmosphere, and we managed different parts of the venue. My Secret Service friend saw me and said, "You really know how to throw a party!" I had my camera and took photographs of the event. President Reagan arrived and was ushered into a big tent behind the podium and barricade we had built. He walked out of the tent and approached us for a photo opportunity. I was surprised. The president was a big man, and he flashed his trademark smile. He really did look like a Hollywood star. He came to us and posed for the photograph below. Four months later, I was sent a copy of the picture and a letter from the president. Really a nice touch by the Gipper.
