The week of April 25, 1965, seemed like any other - until fighting broke out in the capital
city of the Dominican Republic.
Without warning, violence engulfed all quarters of Santo Domingo as Communist rebels launched
a surprise attack, firing from building to building and spreading terror throughout the
city.
Countless civilians sought refuge in the Embajador Hotel, anxiously awaiting their turn to be
evacuated to US Navy ships.
Many of them endured days without food or water for days, and while they waited, they
could only lie on the ground and listen to the unnerving sound of bullets whizzing overhead.
By the end of the week, the US military had deployed thousands of soldiers and Marines
to the Caribbean, and the 82nd Airborne Division had sustained its first combat casualties
since World War 2.
But despite the chaos and loss, one thing was certain: there would not be another Cuba…
Another Cuba
During the height of the Cold War, the United States was deeply concerned about the spread
of Communism in the Western hemisphere, particularly after the Cuban Revolution of 1959.
So, when leftist groups in the Dominican Republic began stirring up trouble in 1965, the US
was determined to prevent another nation from falling into its clutches.
After the assassination of strongman and former President Leonidas Trujillo in 1961, the country
held its first free elections in 30 years.
However, the subsequent three years were marked by a constant struggle for political control
between the Communist-sympathizing faction and conservative businesses and the military,
all of whom had strong ties with the sugar industry.
The situation escalated suddenly on Saturday, April 24, 1965.
Without warning, leftist forces overthrew Dominican leader Donald Reid y Cabral.
Inspired by communist ideas, groups of civilians took up arms under the moniker "Los Tigres,"
and flooded the streets of Santo Domingo.
Soon, they had overwhelmed the Dominican security forces.
By April 27, the situation had deteriorated considerably.
American Ambassador W. Tapley Bennett, Jr. described the chaos as nothing less than collective
madness.
In a stark message to authorities in Washington, he stated: (QUOTE) "I recommend that serious
thought be given to armed intervention to restore order beyond a mere protection of
lives.
If the present loyalist efforts fail, the power will go to groups whose aims are identified
with those of the Communist Party.
We might have to intervene to prevent another Cuba."
Airlift
Arguing for the need to protect American lives and property, US President Lyndon B. Johnson
addressed his military and ordered an immediate deployment to the Caribbean nation to prevent
a possible Castro-type takeover.
A mere three days after the civil strife broke out, the US took the precaution of stationing
a task force, including USS Boxer and 1,500 Marines, off the Dominican Coast.
However, on the 28th, the Marines were dispatched and landed on the island.
That evening, Boxer airlifted 400 Marines into Santo Domingo to safeguard American citizens.
By the next morning, there were 530 Marines in the city, and later in the day, they were
reinforced by an additional thousand troops.
Dominican government officials had warned that they could no longer guarantee the safety
of foreign nationals, so the order was given to evacuate US citizens.
The Marines then established a safety zone between the US Embassy and the Embajador Hotel,
where refugees gathered to be ferried by Boxer for further transfer to evacuation-bound Navy
ships such as USS Wood County, USS Ruchamkin, and USS Yancey.
Meanwhile, two battalions of the 82nd Airborne Division and their supporting forces were
ordered to move with minimum essential equipment from Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina
to Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico.
They would be executing Operation Power Pack.
A Change For The Worse
The newly-appointed commander of the 18th Airborne Corps, Lieutenant General Bruce Palmer,
and Major General Robert York, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, were tasked with
overseeing the mission.
The operation commenced with the deployment of a task force of Marines and the 82nd Airborne,
supported by the 7th Special Forces Group, Psychological Operations units, and various
logistical auxiliary elements.
Operation Power Pack was the first time the US Army’s new ROAD Concept would be tested;
the Reorganization Objective Army Division was designed to develop flexible forces capable
of responding to multiple contingencies.
While the initial Marine force arrived by helicopter and landed on the western edge
of Santo Domingo, a force of 2,253 men of the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, designated
Power Pack I, mobilized to Puerto Rico.
Lead elements became airborne and brought 111 heavy-drop and 33 personnel-carrying aircraft
with them.
However, Washington's political and military leaders suddenly changed the destination in-flight,
redirecting the force from San Isidro Airfield to the east of Santo Domingo.
Additionally, they were instructed to airland rather than airdrop.
The abrupt change caused immediate problems.
For one, the facility lacked ground material handling equipment, so the heavy drop loads
had to be unloaded manually.
Moreover, the airfield became saturated on April 29 after only 33 transports and 46 heavy-drop
aircraft landed.
Consequently, the troops were separated from much of their equipment at a critical moment.
Auspiciously, however, the landings encountered no opposition, and the missing equipment,
which had traveled all the way to Puerto Rico, arrived the following day.
Loyalists and Defectors
Major General York's plan involved a battalion-sized force advancing westward to secure the Duarte
Bridge.
Once the eastern and western sections of the city were connected, the Americans could collaborate
with loyalist elements to regain control of Santo Domingo.
However, the undertaking was perilous.
Under close air support from Marine F-4 Phantom jets, the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry, advanced
to secure the bridge.
To establish control over the area, the commandos had to conduct dangerous house-to-house operations
while under intense fire from rebel forces.
Complicating matters, the rebels were also aided by Dominican military defectors who
wore the same uniforms as the loyalist forces.
Despite the challenges, both the bridge and the city's main power station were secured
by mid-afternoon on April 30.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Brigade was dispatched to the Dominican Republic on May 1.
Power Pack II consisted of two airborne battalions and supporting elements totaling 2,276 strong.
As aircraft became available, the 2nd Brigade would use the same vehicles as the 3rd on
a shuttle basis.
With additional paratrooper units deployed in the city, the US military strength swelled
to 4,200 men.
On May 2, the Navy transported 1,415 civilians to San Juan, Puerto Rico, bringing the total
number of evacuees to 3,000.
However, over 5,000 more still awaited rescue in Santo Domingo, of which about half were
international citizens representing 30 different nationalities.
All-American Expressway
The penultimate phase carried out by Power Pack III involved the remainder of the 2nd
Brigade as well as two airborne battalions, support forces, and elements of the 5th Logistical
Command for backup, totaling 3,302 men and officers.
The force was shuttled in between the afternoon of May 2 and the morning of May 3.
Simultaneously, the 3rd Brigade advanced further west and linked up with the Marines, who had
already established a safety zone within the city.
With the bulk of six airborne battalions concentrated near San Isidro and the waterfront secured,
Navy ships began taking refugees directly on board.
The junction between the Army and the Marines finally established the perimeter.
Then, additional forces managed to permanently secure the east-west transportation route,
which was subsequently dubbed the "All-American Expressway."
York had the 82nd Airborne Division band march all along the corridor - a demonstration that
the US military was firmly in control.
Lastly, the fourth echelon of the 82nd, the 1st Brigade, and three airborne battalions
plus supporting forces arrived directly from the US mainland on the morning of May 4.
Within five days, the 82nd Division and supporting units had airlifted over 10,500 men to the
Dominican Republic.
Subsequently, additional Army units comprising 3,000 personnel across Special Forces troops,
psychological warfare units, and signal and transportation elements arrived in the secured
area.
By the 8th, US forces had swelled to 14,000 strong.
The President then addressed his nation and the whole world in a televised announcement
proclaiming: (QUOTE) "What began as a popular democratic revolution that was committed to
democracy and social justice moved into the hands of a band of communist conspirators.
[...] We will defend our nation against all those who seek to destroy not only the United
States but every free country of this hemisphere."
Turning The Tables
By the end of the first week, 500 Marines and two full battalions from the 82nd were
conducting security operations on the ground.
As the month progressed, the entire Division was deployed to the country.
Lieutenant General Palmer then directed subordinate commanders to conduct stability operations,
which transitioned to constabulary operations.
Soon, the troops dedicated themselves to distributing food, water, and medical supplies to members
of both factions.
In the end, no fewer than 40,000 US troops participated in one stage or another of Operation
Power Pack.
Finally, in September of 1965, under the auspices of the Organization of American States, a
provisional government was established in the Dominican Republic, paving the way for
proper elections to restore a legitimate government.
Subsequently, the majority of security operations were transferred to a Brazil-led Latin American
task force.
Within a year, all American forces had withdrawn from the Dominican Republic.
Ultimately, Operation Power Pack demonstrated the US military's ability to move rapidly
and decisively to defend its interests in the Western hemisphere, thereby proving the
effectiveness of the ROAD Concept.
Moreover, the operation served as a critical precursor for future contingency operations,
notably one that would occur three decades later: the 1994 intervention in Haiti, Operation
Uphold Democracy.
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