Dominican Republic: Exit the Peace Force

The American one-star general turned to the newsmen who had trailed him to a waiting U.S. Air Force C-130 transport at San Isidro airbase ten miles cast of Santo Domingo. “Gentlemen,” said Brigadier General Robert Linvill, 53, deputy commander of the Inter-American Peace Force, “I am the last combat soldier of the IAPF to leave the country.” With that, he too departed.

Thus ended the successful effort by the U.S. and five hemispheric partners —Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay—to save a revolt-torn country from Communist subversion. When President Johnson first took the painful step of ordering the 2nd Battalion of the 6th Marines ashore, Santo Domingo was in the grip of near civil war, with local rebels infiltrated by trained Red agitators. Now, 17 months later, the country is at peace and has a new government under the direction of President Joaquin Balaguer. Its troubles are far from over, but the little nation now appears capable of coping with its problems on its own.