Jan. 13, 1991
I re-read my book about Alaska. I would like to go there some day. I attended a briefing on what to do if trouble starts tomorrow when the President of Panama visits our location. I am supposed to be in one of the vehicles that will evacuate a General and an Ambassador to the prearranged helicopter landing site. I really don't anticipate any trouble.
Jan. 15, 1991
Yesterday was great. We setup the security for the President's visit. We had listening and observation posts surrounding the camp, a security detail, evacuation helicopters, evacuation cars, crowd control, the whole nine yards.
Like I mentioned earlier my job was to command one of the evacuation cars. If something went wrong my driver and I were to get the President, a 4 star U.S. General and an Ambassador, in that order and take them to the escape helicopter.
Nothing happened. There were a lot of Panamanians walking around in the woods and up and down the dirt road leading to camp, but they usually did that anyway.
I could see the President very plainly. At first five helicopters landed. A bunch of people got off in civilian clothes accompanied with some in military uniforms. This one guy stood out from the rest. He wore a white shirt and a big hat, so I took a picture of what I thought was the President. A few minutes later a white helicopter landed and a short fat man got off in a business suit. I knew immediately by the deference he was given that he was the President, I had taken a picture of the wrong guy. I tried taking another picture but was out of film. A bus came out to greet the helicopter and everyone got on and was driven to the reviewing stand.
We, the US MP's, all had loaded weapons. Apparently the Panamanian Government was not 100% sure about the loyalty of the local Panamanian National Police and wanted our back up. They also had their own bodyguards. We were told a little earlier that if the PNP started anything stupid we were to stop them. They never really told us how to stop them but was told any encounter we might have should fall under the rules of engagement. I guess we were supposed to shoot somebody in the head of something.
A few minutes after the President and his party had moved to the reviewing stand another helicopter landed. No one was there to greet it and I noticed that two men in white got off the helicopter, looked around with darting black eyes and then a very tall distinguished man got off. All three of the men starting walking our my way. I was the closest person to the new arrivals so I walked towards them and when the tall man got with in hand shaking range he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, how are you." Fine I replied. He then said, "I am Jerry Ford," in prefect English. Well it wasn't the Jerry Ford I knew. I responded, "Hi, I am Conley McAnally from Independence, Missouri, home of Harry Truman, but who are you?" He laughed real hard and said, "I'm the Vice President of Panama." I saluted, said excuse me, and escorted him to the reviewing stand.
In this haphazard way I met and was an additional bodyguard to one of the leading figures of Panama who will probably be the President one day. He was a very impressive looking man.
I re-read my book about Alaska. I would like to go there some day. I attended a briefing on what to do if trouble starts tomorrow when the President of Panama visits our location. I am supposed to be in one of the vehicles that will evacuate a General and an Ambassador to the prearranged helicopter landing site. I really don't anticipate any trouble.
Jan. 15, 1991
Yesterday was great. We setup the security for the President's visit. We had listening and observation posts surrounding the camp, a security detail, evacuation helicopters, evacuation cars, crowd control, the whole nine yards.
Like I mentioned earlier my job was to command one of the evacuation cars. If something went wrong my driver and I were to get the President, a 4 star U.S. General and an Ambassador, in that order and take them to the escape helicopter.
Nothing happened. There were a lot of Panamanians walking around in the woods and up and down the dirt road leading to camp, but they usually did that anyway.
I could see the President very plainly. At first five helicopters landed. A bunch of people got off in civilian clothes accompanied with some in military uniforms. This one guy stood out from the rest. He wore a white shirt and a big hat, so I took a picture of what I thought was the President. A few minutes later a white helicopter landed and a short fat man got off in a business suit. I knew immediately by the deference he was given that he was the President, I had taken a picture of the wrong guy. I tried taking another picture but was out of film. A bus came out to greet the helicopter and everyone got on and was driven to the reviewing stand.
We, the US MP's, all had loaded weapons. Apparently the Panamanian Government was not 100% sure about the loyalty of the local Panamanian National Police and wanted our back up. They also had their own bodyguards. We were told a little earlier that if the PNP started anything stupid we were to stop them. They never really told us how to stop them but was told any encounter we might have should fall under the rules of engagement. I guess we were supposed to shoot somebody in the head of something.
A few minutes after the President and his party had moved to the reviewing stand another helicopter landed. No one was there to greet it and I noticed that two men in white got off the helicopter, looked around with darting black eyes and then a very tall distinguished man got off. All three of the men starting walking our my way. I was the closest person to the new arrivals so I walked towards them and when the tall man got with in hand shaking range he stuck out his hand and said, "Hi, how are you." Fine I replied. He then said, "I am Jerry Ford," in prefect English. Well it wasn't the Jerry Ford I knew. I responded, "Hi, I am Conley McAnally from Independence, Missouri, home of Harry Truman, but who are you?" He laughed real hard and said, "I'm the Vice President of Panama." I saluted, said excuse me, and escorted him to the reviewing stand.
In this haphazard way I met and was an additional bodyguard to one of the leading figures of Panama who will probably be the President one day. He was a very impressive looking man.
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