NAVAL SPOOKS - "CT SAND CRABS"
WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET
THE LOSS OF LIFE AND THE INJURIES
SUSTAINED BY THE NAVAL SPOOKS
OF THE US NAVCOMMSTA, SABANA SECA
ON DECEMBER 3, 1979
(close-up of the sign - near the sight of the attack)
Personnel from the US NAVCOMMSTA, Sabana Seca, Puerto Rico riding to work on a US Navy bus the morning of December 3, 1979 were attacked by a group of terrorists. Depending on which report you read, the time that the fatal bus ride began varied between 6:30 AM and 7:18 AM.
The San Juan Star and Time Magazine both reported that the bus was being driven by RM3 Emil White, who was one of the two personnel killed in the attack. Other articles elude to the fact that the driver was someone else (an 18th person on the bus). Most articles agree that the number of people of the bus was 18, but all of the lists of military personnel on the bus only name 17 people.
If you read three or four articles about the ambush, you will get three or four significantly different accountings. The time of the attack, the bus driver, the actions of the terrorist driving the blocking pick-up truck during the attack, and the location and movement of the white van from which the automatic rifles were discharged by the terrorists were all reported differently in various reports. In spite of all these contradictions, these facts are true:
Two brave and dedicated naval spooks-
RM3 Emil E. White from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and
CT(O)1 John R. Ball from Madison, Wisconsin were both killed in the attack and were posthumously awarded Purple Hearts.
Five brave and dedicated women naval spooks-
RM3 Dottie A. Allen
CT(T)2 Cynthia C. Edwards
CT(R)SA Monique A. Ritter
CT(O)3 Sandra L. Seaton and
CT(M)2 Debra J. Whitehurst were all wounded in the attack and were awarded the Purple Heart.
Five additional men, all brave and dedicated naval spooks were also wounded in the attack and were awarded the Purple Heart. They were:
CT(R)SN Allen Bush
CT(R)SN Bradley D. Clark
CT(M)3 Joseph R. Key
CT(O)SN Richard D. Sauter and
CT(R)C Warren Smith.
CT(R)C Warren Smith was also awarded the Meritorious Service Metal for his actions in returning the bus and personnel to the safety of the main compound so that they could get the much needed medical attention.
Five additional brave and dedicated naval personnel were on the bus and thankfully were not injured in the attack. They were:
CT(R)SN Clifton Looney
CT(M)2 Robert Minnick
RM3 Drusilla Penderghest
CT(T)SN Kenneth Toman and
CT(M)3 Gilbert Zuback II.
This was one of the most violent acts of the Los Macheteros (the machete wielders). Los Macheteros is a clandestine organization based on the island of Puerto Rico, with cells throughout the United States. They campaign for and support the independence of Puerto Rico from what they characterize as United States colonial rule. A Los Macheteros comunique claimed credit for the attack and indicated that it was in reprisal for the death of a Puerto Rican independentist who was in a Florida prison. Presently only 3 to 4 percent of the Puerto Rican citizens support the independence of the island.
