We had just finished PT, and we got alerted.' In 1989 he was a second lieutenant commanding first platoon. Charles Klinge, deputy commander of Southwestern Division. That means we were on two-hour recall,' said Col. 'It was my first time in the Division Ready Force. The battalion operations officer was Maj. The three now with USACE were all members of A Company, 307th Engineer Battalion, the only engineer battalion in the 82nd. had the right under the treaties to intervene militarily to protect the canal.īush's four reasons gained bi-partisan Congressional approval and support for the invasion, but the first that the Soldiers knew about it was Monday morning, Dec.

political establishment claimed that Noriega threatened the neutrality of the Panama Canal and that the U.S. Members of Congress and others in the U.S. Omar Torrijos, commander of the Panamanian National Guard, and guaranteed that Panama would gain control of the canal after 1999. 7, 1977, by President Jimmy Carter and Gen. Panama had become a center for drug money laundering and a transit point for drug trafficking to the U.S. Noriega declared the election null and maintained power by force.Ĭombating drug trafficking. In May 1989, an alliance of parties opposed to Noriega's military dictatorship had won the national election by a 3-to-1 margin. serviceman and brutally interrogated his wife.ĭefending democracy and human rights in Panama. serviceman, wounded another, and arrested and beat a third U.S. Forces under Noriega's command had shot and killed an unarmed U.S. and Panama, and that he had threatened the lives of the 35,000 U.S.

Bush stated that Noriega had declared war between the U.S. Bush gave four reasons for the invasion on Dec. invaded Panama during Operation Just Cause in December 1989, three young engineer Soldiers parachuted in with the 82nd Airborne Division. They were there when it happened…they made the history. WASHINGTON - History is not just an academic subject for some people in the U.S.

Just cause 3 dropzone