USS Barnstable County (LST-1197) Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group (MARG) 1-84 Cruise Book

On October 17, 1983, USS BARNSTABLE COUNTY shifted to the quay wall at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base to load one pallet of ammunition. She then proceeded to a rendezvous with four other ships making up MARG 1-84. On 18 October, BARNSTABLE COUNTY arrived at Moorhead City, NC and onloaded 219 Marine personnel and 102 vehicles. BARNSTABLE COUNTY was then enroute to the Mediterranean. On 19 October, BARNSTABLE COUNTY was directed to change course and move to the Island of Grenada the southernmost island of the Windard Islands, in the southeastern Caribbean. BARNSTABLE COUNTY arrived off Grenada on the evening of 24 October and Condition III watches were set. The following morning, U.S. helicopters invaded Grenada. Members of the U.S. Army Rangers and elements BLT 2/8 22 MAU had carried out the assault on the island. On 26 October U.S. A6 and A7 aircraft bombed the beach where Cuban troops were resisting and firing upon U.S. Troops. On the 27th, the U.S. troops encountered more resistance. Anchored only 2,000 yards from the beach, BARNSTABLE COUNTY unloaded equipment and personnel from "H" Battery, Tenth Marines, Second Marine Division of Camp Lejune, NC. They were delivered to Grand Mal Bay, Grenada to act as a security force for the BLT HEADQUARTERS. On 17 November 1983, BARNSTABLE COUNTY arrived off the coast of Beirut, Lebannon and debarked Marines and Seabees and all their equipment, most of which was offloaded in just 22 hours. This marked the beginning of BARNSTABLE COUNTY'S role in an important peace-keeping mission. What follows on these scanned pages of the cruise book, are pictures of the fine men that took part in this deployment. Although the emotions experienced cannot be expressed in a few photos, the memories are here for all.