The Philip B. Petersen Collection Broadcast May 30, 1989

     It was very early in the morning on the 25th of October, 1982, when radio amateur Mark Barettella, KA2ORK, a medical student at Saint Georges University School of Medicine on the Island of Grenada was awakened by the sound of gunfire and low-flying military aircraft.
     Mark immediately put his amateur radio station on the air and got in touch with his friend, Steve Tamazow, N2DRA, in Montclair, New Jersey to let him know about the military invasion.  Recently, a military coup had overthrown the government of Grenada and Mark was apprehensive if this new regime would continue to allow amateur radio operations.  So Mark kept his low-power transmitter hidden in the anatomy laboratory next to a cadaver because he knew if the new regime inspected the school, they would not go into the anatomy laboratory because they are afraid of seeing dead people in there.
     Steve, N2DRA, passed the information to the school's headquarters in Long Island and to other officials.  Mark, KA2ORK, became the focal point for almost all of the information coming out of Grenada.  The students were very concerned about their safety and were advised to continually lie on the floor, stay inside and keep a low profile.  Mark was also lying on the floor while operating his radio set.
     Soon all telephone and wire communication with Grenada was shut down and the public power to the school was cut off.  Mark was able to get the school's emergency diesel generator running but it broke down after 18 hours of operation.  He then used another very small generator that kept him on the air so that he could continue to inform U.S. officials and others directly and via other amateur radio stations of the situation around the medical school.  In this way, he inadvertently aided in U.S. troop movements.
     "There's quite a bit of fire right around the entire campus.  Maybe you can divert them around us here some way instead of directly over us.  Over."
     "QSL.  OK.  We'll convey our apologies and pass the word."
     You just heard a recording of Mark, KA2ORK, making a request that military aircraft be diverted away from the campus because of hostile gunfire that occurred around the outside of the building when the gunships flew over the school.  There were about 200 medical students lying on the floors hoping to avoid crossfire.  They also thought they might be taken as hostages.  On the following day, the U.S. forces quickly rescued the students in five helicopters with the sound of gunfire all around.
     Mark Barettella, KA2ORK, is admired by all radio amateurs and many others for his heroic emergency radio communications ability that directly affected the safety and rescue of his fellow students from Grenada.

May 30, 1989

** Broadcasts recordings preserved and presented here by Mr. Robert Buss and Mr. Bernie Ricciardi, Phil's friends and fellow Marconi Chapter 138 QCWA members **

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