Headstone unveiled for 13 Grenadian soldiers – who died during US invasion

By Linda Straker

Thirty years after they were buried without a traditional funeral service, a headstone was last Friday unveiled with the names of the 13 Grenadian soldiers of the former People’s Revolutionary Army who died defending  Grenada when US soldiers invaded in 1983.

Their bodies were mistakenly sent to Cuba following the US Invasion of Grenada. However, after conducting the necessary identifications of bodies, the Cuban Government discovered that they were the bodies of Grenadian soldiers and returned them to the country.

A headstone for the 13 Grenadian soldiers who are buried
in one grave at the St. George's cemetery, was revealed.

Wreaths were laid in memory of the 13 Grenadian
soldiers who died on October 25, 1983.

“Before sending them back, the Cuba Government paid them their respect as soldiers who died defending Grenada and the revolution, but when they arrived here, the Interim Government at the time, headed by Nicholas Brathwaite, handed the body over to the undertaker, who buried them at 3 in the morning,” said Peggy Nesfield, who over the years has single-handedly on most occasions held a memorial event for them every October 25.

“They were soldiers who died defending the country and we should treat them with respect, regardless of who was the Government at the time,” said Ashley “Ram” Folkes, who this year spearheaded the project in which there is now a monument and a headstone where the soldiers were unceremoniously buried.

For the first time since the invasion, the National Celebrations Committee recognised the burial ground of the 13 soldiers and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell laid a wreath on behalf of the country, while members of the October 19th and Martyrs Foundations paid their respects and shared memories at different times during the day last Friday.

“It took us 30 years to have this, so I am hopeful that in the future we will not only have this headstone, which is the site where they are buried, but a monument in their honour; maybe in another place where it will be more visual,” said Folkes, who is not ashamed to say that he served in the People’s Revolutionary Army.

There is a monument on the compound of the Maurice Bishop International Airport to remember the US soldiers who died during the invasion and every year there is a special ceremony for them both at the monument and at St. George’s University where a second monument is located.

It has been revealed that the former National Democratic Congress Government had a cabinet conclusion, which calls for building a monument somewhere on lands close to the airport to recognise the Grenadian soldiers. The airport at the time was under construction and was the location for a lot of the military fighting during the invasion.