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1983 Grenada mental hospital bombing

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1983 Grenada mental hospital bombing
Part of the United States invasion of Grenada
LocationRichmond Hill Mental Hospital, St. George's, Grenada
Date25 October 1983
Deaths18
Injured30
Perpetrator United States Navy

On 25 October 1983, during the invasion of Grenada, the Richmond Hill Mental Hospital was mistakenly bombed by U.S. Navy A-7 Corsairs, killing 18 people and hospitalizing 30 more.[1]

Background

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See also: History of Grenada

Grenada gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1974 under Sir Eric Gairy.[2] He claimed victory in the general election of 1976, but the opposition did not accept the claim.[3] On 13 March 1979, the New Jewel Movement led an armed revolution and overthrew Gairy’s government while he was out of the country, establishing the People’s Revolutionary Government under Maurice Bishop.[4]

On 25 October 1983, under codename Operation Urgent Fury, the United States and the Regional Security System invaded Grenada at the request of Tom Adams, the Prime Minister of Barbados and the Prime Minister of Dominica, Eugenia Charles.[5]

Bombing

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On the first day of Operation Urgent Fury, A-7 Corsairs from the USS Independence (CV-62) attacked enemy command posts at the Fort Frederick and Fort Rupert areas. The Corsairs lacked any maps or ground indication of their target, which caused them to mistakenly bomb the Richmond Hill Mental Hospital, a 183-patient mental hospital near the forts.[6][7][8] The bombing killed 18 people, 17 of them being patients and 1 being a hospital staff member. 30 more people were hospitalized and another 68 patients were unaccounted for, but later returned to the hospital or remained at their homes. The hospital was destroyed after the bombing. Early reports of the attack stated that as many as 50 people were killed.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Opinion | MENTAL HOSPITAL REMAINS A CASUALTY OF THE GRENADA INVASION". The New York Times. 1984-11-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  2. ^ "Grenada - Independence, Caribbean, Spice Island | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  3. ^ "REPORTS ARE CONFLICTING ON GRENADA VOTE RESULTS". The New York Times. 1976-12-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  4. ^ "March 13, 1979: The Grenada Revolution". Zinn Education Project. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  5. ^ "United States invades Grenada". HISTORY. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  6. ^ Hills, Andrew (2021-06-04). "1983 US Invasion of Grenada". Tank Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  7. ^ "U.S. troops bomb mental hospital, reports say". UPI. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  8. ^ "Operation Urgent Fury" (PDF). history.army.mil.
  9. ^ "U.S. CONCEDES BOMBING HOSPITAL IN GRENADA, KILLING AT LEAST 12". The New York Times. 1983-11-01. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
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