ST GEORGE’S, Grenada: 22 years ago, on October 25, 1983, the people of Grenada witnessed a US-led intervention of a military force to restore order after Socialist Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was murdered. On Tuesday, Grenadians celebrated "Thanksgiving Day" a national holiday instituted to commemorate the anniversary of October 25. A national religious service was held in the Bethel Bicentennial Hall at St. Paul's Cathedral in the capital, under the theme "Love Hope and Gratitude". Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, and US Ambassador addressed the congregation which included government ministers, diplomats, and Grenadians. Dr. Mitchell said 22 years ago the island was faced with an unprecedented challenge of restoring democracy to the country. “This challenge required the intervention of Caribbean and American military personnel to help restore our country to peace and stability. This, sisters and brothers, we must never forget,” he said. The Grenadian leader said the freedom, the peace and stability and the progress that the country has witnessed has continued without interruption ever since. Representative for the President for the United States, US Ambassador Mrs. Mary Kramer also paid tribute at the ceremony. She said the US Government remembers the many lives that were lost in the event of October 1983. She said, “That strong democracy is the greatest legacy we could provide to Americans who lost their lives here.” Mrs. Kramer said, since October of 1983, the United States and Grenada have worked to become strong partners. On the 14th October 1983, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was placed under house arrest, and subsequently murdered on October 19 in the compound of Fort Rupert, along with some of his cabinet members and other Grenadians, including Fitzroy Bain, Norris Bain, Evelyn Bullen, Jacqueline Creft, Keith Hayling, Evelyn Maitland, Unison Whiteman, Andy Sebastian Alexander, Simon Alexander, Gemma Belmar, Eric Dumont, Avis Ferguson, Vince Noel, Alleyne Romain and Nelson Steele. Caribbean governments met and decided to invite the United States to lead them in an intervention in the island. Barbados was used as the trans-shipment point for most of the military equipment. In the early hours of the morning of October 25, 1983, the United States intervened in Grenada. The initial assault consisted of some 1,200 troops, and they were met by stiff resistance from the Grenadian army and Cuban military units on the island. Heavy fighting continued for several days but, as the invasion force grew to more than 7,000, the defenders either surrendered or fled into the mountains. Scattered fighting continued as US troops hunted down stragglers, but for the most part, the island quickly fell under American control. By mid-December, US combat forces went home and a pro-American government took power. The official number of deaths was US 19, Grenadians 49, with several hundred wounded. 29 Cubans were killed and over a hundred wounded. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com