Forty-five (45) years ago, on March 13, 1979, the Government of Sir Eric Mathew Gairy was overthrown by the New Jewel Movement (NJM) which formed the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG).
March 13, 2024 marked 45 years since this happened. I can vividly remember that morning in 1979, travelling from the rural village of Grand Roy, St. John in one of the wooden buses to the St. George’s Market and then walking up Market Hill to my workplace at Wesley College, on Lucas Street.
The staff at Wesley College at that time included Mr. C A Martineau, Principal, Lennox “Toes” Andrews,” Hensley Baptiste, Arlene Delves, Elizabeth Banfield and Denis Samuel. We were all concerned about whether school should remain open as well as who was behind the Radio Grenada Announcement that we heard earlier that morning stating, “the Government of the Criminal Dictator Eric Mathew Gairy has been overthrown.”
About 9:30 a.m, a classmate of mine from Form 6, at the Presentation Brothers’ College, Liam “Osu” James, dressed in army green opened the door of the class where I was teaching Mathematics to the Form 2A and came to me and said, “Collins, you all have to close that school, we have given a holiday today, try to get the students to return home as quickly as possible.”
I took him to the Principal’s office, and he repeated the same message. Mr. Martineau immediately dismissed school for that day.
YEAR ONE IN CUBA
Six (6) months later, Lennox Andrews and I were flying out of Pearls Airport on the Air Cubana heading for Havana. With us were thirty-six (36) other students: Carlyle Glean, Jr., with his foot in Plaster Paris after breaking it at a football game, Giles Bubb, Oscar LaMothe, Christopher Whint, and Joseph Gilbert who would be studying Civil Engineering; Lydia Gilbert, Keith Johnson, Terrence Marryshow, David Lambert, Glenda Ventour, Pamela Simon, Alban Phillip, Sonia Nixon and Clarice Modeste would be studying Medicine.
Selected to study Dentistry were: Julie DuBois, Jerome Keens-Douglas (JKD), Marcia MacMillan – those selected to study Mechanical Engineering included John Auguste, Allan “Sugars” Roberts, Raphael “Croqueta” Johnson; Food Science – Simeon Collins and Avis Mark; Economic Planning: Lennox “Toes” Andrews, Sallyanne Baghwan, Marcia Philbert, Alfred Logie and Anthony Sylvester.
The Veterinary Medicine students were Arlington Henry and Claude DeAllie; Architecture, Augustus Pierre and Agricultural Engineering Dale Francis, Roland “Gospo” O’Neale, Kenneth “Dread” Joseph and Brian Hercules. French Interpreters: Hilary Fraiser and Alfred John and Bernard McBurnie, Chemical Engineering.
We spent the first year in Cuba learning Spanish at the Facultad Preparatoria, Marchuruchutu.
Students from Dominica, Guadeloupe, Mali, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, Palestine, Sao Tome & Principe, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Namibia and South Africa also studied at this institution.
After the first year, we came down for vacation on a boat bringing cement to Grenada leaving from Mariel. Some of the major highlights at Marchurucutu were:-
(i) the visit paid to the students by President Fidel Castro and Prime Minister Maurice Bishop at around 4:30 a.m. accompanied by the Grenadian Ambassador to Cuba Richard Jacob, Minister George Louison and Lew Smith as the media personnel
(ii) The late night “lime” in Havana returning home in the morning with Bus #180 via Lisa or Punta Brava
(iii) Many games and competitions that were organised (card games such as Romey, All Fours, Pedro or Peach, Calypso Competition at which Raphael Johnson began singing calypso for the first time and adopted the sobriquet, the Mighty Croqueta, winning the crown with two great songs (Dialogo and Ultimo).
I remembered winning the road march with “Seis de la Mañana”, the Kerry Packer Cricket Team, Football Matches vs other nationalities
(iv) Visits to Copellia, an ice cream palour chain, Tropicana Night Club as well as the Montaña Rusae (the Roller Coaster) and a visit to Varadero, one of Cuba’s most internationally recognised beaches.
YEARS 2, 3 AND 4 IN CUBA
During the second year, students were sent to different universities based on their area of specialisation. The Civil Engineering and the Economics students were sent to the University of Camaguey; those students studying medicine and dentistry remained at the medical school in Havana.
The Agricultural Science Students were sent to ISCAH (the Higher Institute of Agricultural Science) in Havana and the Mechanical Engineering students were sent to the University of Santa Clara.
The lone Chemical Engineering student was sent to CUJAE, the Polytechnic University Jose Antonia Echeverria).
I was sent to the University of Havana which dormitory was at 12 y Malecon. The two students studying French were also sent to the University of Havana, but their dormitory was at F and 3rd.
A second batch of students arrived in September 1980 and others followed in subsequent years. Paul Phillip came to study Marine Biology and later became my roommate in 12 y Malecon; Raphael “Carib” John, Ashford Robinson, Doris Keens-Douglas, John Layne, Hensley Baptiste, Laurie Frederick, Allan Benjamin, Deborah Stephens, Kester Dragon, George Mitchell, Derek Burris, Steward Sylvester, Magdalene Antoine, Winston Thomas came to study Medicine.
Clothilda Patrick, Helen Lewis-James, Michelle DeSouza, Christine. Garret, Sandra Phillip, Albert Fletcher and Culeen Peters came to study Dentistry; John “Viech” Viechweg, Everest Ferguson, Malachy Dottin, Denis Bain, Peter Bain, Ashely Calliste, Willan Clarke, Augustine Vesprey and Daniël Lewis came to study Agricultural Engineering.
Then in Civil Engineering – Kenrick Gabriel, David “Pantin” Lewis, John St Louis, Mosley Williams, and Gordon Copland; Mechanical Engineering – Selwyn Springle, Alphonsus Daniel, Martín Williams, Jimmy Mathlin, Solomon “Cayak” Stafford, and Alister (APT) James.
Bowen Louison, Linton “Pet” Andrews and Eugene Rennie, Veterinary Medicine; Cuthbert John, Desmond John, Ken Martin Whiteman, Michael Daniel; Patricia Antoine, Denis Clarke, Asquith Duncan, Edward Lord, Denis Cornwall, Albert “Inch” Hayling, Michael “Mashie” Church, Vincent Williams, Tarlie Francis, David Lord, Theresa Mason, Lingham Samuel and Ken Lewis – Economics.
In the area of Statistics – Carl Phillip and Curlan Gilchrist; Education: Joseph Andall; Delano Viechweg, Hector David, Jeffery Britton, Pauline John, Junior Alexis; Pharmaceutical Science: Helen Taylor, Francilla Jeffery and Hilary David, Journalism: Raphael “Okel” Joseph and Victor David.
Claudia Mark Benjamin studied Law; Athletics: Conrad Francis and Donald Mendez. There was also two middle level students who studied Agronomy: Steve “Alepang” Patrick and Jonathan Francis.
There were also three (3) middle level technicians who studied radiology: Bonan Gill, Steven Prince and James “Skeffie Wilson and one medical technician: Craig “Medico” Joseph.
There was another middle level construction technician named Godfrey Adams (Wilfredo) from St Patrick. Other middle level students were Miguel (Bob) Vincent, Navigation; Rudolph (Shorts) Hayling, Finance, Agnes Durham, Wendla Mitchell, Jane Antoine, Florian Belfon, Veronica Joseph Caire St Bernard and Ann Marie DeCoteau who studied Early Childhood Education. Augustine “Spokesman” Jessamy, Brian Phillip and Yoland Lord who studied Veterinary Medicine.
Steven McDonald, Rudolph “Tall Boy” Harris and Donald “Coteau” DeCoteau in Telecommunications who did a middle level course in Electrical Engineering and Lenard Frank who studied Engineering Technology; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.
After the collapse of the revolution in October 1983, a few students returned to Grenada, but the vast majority remained in Cuba – Peter Bain (returned to Grenada on the death of his father Norris Bain who was one of the Government Ministers killed on the Fort); Avis Mark, Alex Phillip, Curlan Gilchrist, Joseph Andall, Pauline John, Oscar LaMothe, Brian Hercules, Donald Mendez, Patricia Antoine, Michelle DeSouza, Gordon Copland, Michael Daniel and Giles Bubb, Everest Ferguson (his aunt was killed on the Fort).
Michael Church returned in response to a call from his uncle Sir Paul Scoon who was Governor General, Augustus Pierre returned after the first year.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW
Some worked for the Government and later became politicians; Clarice Modeste, Michael Church, Joseph Gilbert, Lennox Andrews, Denis Cornwall and Joseph Andall contested Parliamentary Elections, won their seats and held major ministerial positions.
Others taught at secondary schools or lectured at T.A Marryshow Community College – Jeffery Britton (became Principal), Alfred John, Hilary Fraser-Cruickshank, Raphael Johnson, APT James,
Later Alfred John served for several years in Haiti as a Human Rights Officer with the Organisation of American States (OAS) and subsequently in that capacity with the United Nations in war torn areas of Africa such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Eritrea
APT James retired from TA Marryshow Community College and is presently lecturing in Physics at St George’s University (SGU). Curlan Gilchrist is also lecturing there in Statistics.
The late David Lambert and Clarice Modeste, medical doctor, also lectured there. Bowen Louison, Eugene Rennee and the late Claude DeAllie taught in the Animal Health Clinic at the St George’s University (SGU).
Desmond John, David Lord and Simeon Collins ended up working with CARICOM; Collins was also the Director of the Grenada Bureau of Standards and the Chairman of several Boards and Committees including Grenada Food and Nutrition Council, Housing Authority of Grenada, Grenada Commercial Fisheries, Communal Cooperative Credit Union Ltd. and the Emergency Housing Committee appointed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan to guide the post-Ivan restoration and planning and to respond to housing needs caused by Hurricane Emily.
Tarlie Francis and Raphael Joseph ended up in the diplomatic corps: Raphael was the Grenadian Ambassador to Cuba and is now the Grenadian representative to the EU while Tarlie is presently the Grenadian Ambassador to the USA.
All the doctors, dentists and engineers performed extremely well in their areas of profession, some have retired but still run their private business; Carlye Glean Jr and Raphael Johnson are Deacons in the Catholic Church. Carlyle has his own civil engineering company (Glean’s Engineering).
Tarlie Francis is also a Deacon in the Catholic Church and Raphael “Croqueta“ Johnson is a calypsonian; Terrance Marryshow became the leader of the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (MBPM); later Joseph Andall joined that party and contested the general elections together with Terrance Marryshow.
Solomon Stafford and Craig Joseph ended up as Inspectors of Police. Mosley Williams worked in Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago with NH International. He is presently working in Guyana as a consultant to an English Firm based in Trinidad and Tobago.
Alfed Logie became the Director of National Insurance Scheme (NIS) while Louie Williams became the Financial Comptroller of that institution. Joseph Gilbert also has his own Civil Engineering Company (Gilbert & Partners Inc.).
Malachy Dottin who specialised in Biotechnology worked for two years as the UNFAO Representative for Colombia and also in the FAO Project Office in Italy. He presently has his own Agricultural Shop and Plant Nursery. Kenrick Gabriel has his own civil engineering company (Kenrick Gabriel and Associates); Alex Phillip served as Principal of Wesley College and Supervisor of Elections.
The late Edward Lord was the Manager of the Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (GCNA) and later the Administrative Manager of the Grenada Port Authority. Dr Kester Dragon was the head of Medical Services at the General Hospital. Dr George Mitchell was the Chief Medical Officer (Covid Czar).
Dr Pamela Simon was the Head of Gynecology at the General hospital, Dr Glenda Ventour was the Chief Anesthesiologist at the same institution. Dr Sonia Philip was the head of the Accident and Emergency Unit; Dr Jerome (JKD) Keens-Douglas and Dr Julie DuBois were Heads of Dentistry at the General Hospital.
Also in government services were Sallyanne Baghwan-Logie who was the Permanent Secretary in various departments and ministries, Mr. John Auguste, the Head of the Energy Division. Ken Martin Whiteman was the General Manager of the Grenada Cocoa Association, the Grenada Commercial Fisheries and Gravel, Concrete and Emulsion Production and he was also the General Secretary of the Grenada Food Association (GFA).
Dr Keith Johnson and Dr Hensley Baptiste in charge of the hospital at the Princess Alice Hospital in Mirabeau, St Andrew. They now have their own private practice. Dr Terrance Marryshow is owner of Marryshow’s Hospital and Health Clinic. Dr. George Mitchell is now at the Grenada Medical and Dental Council Accreditation Secretariat.
Several graduates have since passed – Marcia Philbert who was a Permanent Secretary in St Lucia died there; Ashford Robinson who also worked as a medical doctor in St Lucia died there; Winston Thomas, a medical doctor, also passed away.
Paul Phillip, the marine biologist died last year, Arlington Henry and Claude DeAllie, the veterinarians, also died; Brian Phillip who did a middle level course in Veterinary Medicine also died. David Lambert, the medical doctor, also died. So too were Giles Bubb, Asquith Duncan and the medical surgeon Raphael “Carib” John, John Viechweg, Rudolph Hayling, Anthony Sylvester, Edward Lord and Godfrey “Wilfredo” Adams who died in a bus accident. James “Skeffie” Wilson; Victor David, the journalist, who worked in Dominica has also passed away.
Please note: The views expressed in this article are that of Simeon Collins, a former Director of the Grenada Bureau of Standards and outgoing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA), a CARICOM Institution