Diary Entry - 10/27/1983
Key Facts
President Reagan makes an Address to the Nation on the situations in Lebanon and Grenada.
President Reagan attends a National Security Council meeting on the invasion of Grenada.
President Kenneth David Kaunda of Zambia, unopposed, wins reelection to a fifth term.
N.S.C.—naturally on Grenada. Success seems to shine on us & I thank the Lord for it. He has really held us in the hollow of his hand. We cleared the schedule so I could work on the speech. I’d managed to get about half of it done last nite by staying up til 1 o’clock. Gov. Bob Orr (Ind.) came by. He’s a good man. He had some proposals re the gas deregulation bill. Later after I’d finally finished the speech P.M. Compton & wife from Saint Lucia came in. He’s here at our request to meet the press, Cong., and do talk shows re Grenada. When they were leaving she asked if she could kiss me. I was very touched. Geo. Shultz called from Shannon Airport on his way home to tell me the other Multinational Force nations are solid about staying in Lebanon. Everything is going well in Grenada. We’re mopping up. We discovered a Cuban base, barracks, H.Q., Warehouse full of weapons. They were really going to move in & take over. The speech must have hit a few nerves. I did my best to explain what our Marines were doing in Beirut & then explained Grenada. ABC polled 250 people before the speech the majority were against us. They polled the same people right after the speech & there had been a complete turn around. 1000’s of phone calls & wires from all over the country flooded us more than on any speech or issue since we’ve been here—10 to 1 in our favor.
