Diary Entry - 02/20/1986
Key Facts
President Reagan leaves the White House for a trip to Central America and the Caribbean.
President Reagan meets with various Prime Ministers of Caribbean nations.
An unforgettable day—a 31⁄2 hour flight to Grenada to meet with Gov. Gen. Scoon & the P.M.’s of the Caribbean nations—Barbados, Jamaica, Tobago, Domenica, Trinidad, St. Lucia etc. Grenada declared a Nat. Holiday in my honor. I unveiled a bronze plaque dedicating the new airport—which we finished building after our rescue mission in 1983. Then I laid a wreath at the monument to the 19 of our soldiers, sailors, Marines & Airmen who gave their lives in the rescue mission.
Then a meeting with the P.M.s. They are a solid group totally dedicated to democracy. I was able to tell them of some definite plans which will help their economies. We are talking too of a plan for a Security treaty involving all of us. Then on to the outdoor meeting honoring me for our help to them in the rescue mission. There were 38,000 who went through the magnetometers & several thousand more outside the park who couldn’t get in. Total pop. is only 90,000. There was entertainment—children dancing & a choral group—2 bands. From there we left for the airport & home.
