Battle of Paitilla Airport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Paitilla Airport |
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| Part of the United States invasion of Panama and Operation Nifty Package | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
 Panama |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Cmdr. Tom McGrath Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Toohey |
Lt. Octavo Rodriguez |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| SEAL Team 4 |  Panama Defense Force |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 48 | 28-56 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 4 killed 9 wounded |
1 private jet destroyed |
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The Battle of Paitilla Airport was a short but important fight. It happened on December 20, 1989. This battle was between special forces from the U.S. Navy SEALs and soldiers from the Panama Defense Force. It took place at the Paitilla Airport in Panama City. This battle was one of the first parts of Operation Just Cause. This was when the United States invaded Panama.
Forty-eight U.S. Navy SEALs were part of this mission. They were divided into three groups: Golf, Echo, and Delta Platoons. Their leader was Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Toohey. Their main goal was to destroy the private jet of Manuel Noriega. Noriega was the leader of Panama at the time. His jet was parked at the Punta Paitilla Airport.
What Happened During the Battle?
The operation began very early in the morning. It was part of the larger Operation Just Cause. The U.S. Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 4 were in charge. There were 48 SEALs in total. They were led by Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Toohey.
Their mission was to destroy Noriega's private jet. The jet was at Punta Paitilla Airport. This airport is right on the coast in Panama City. The main group of SEALs landed just south of the airport. This was around 12:30 AM. It happened just before other fights started in Panama City.
Some scouting teams were already hidden. They were on the north side of the airfield. Their job was to watch for enemy movements. They sent back information in real-time. Once the SEALs landed, Lt. Cmdr. Toohey set up a command post. It was near the southern edge of the runway.
At this time, Cmdr. McGrath sent new information. He was a SEAL officer on a patrol boat offshore. He was helping to coordinate several operations. The new message said the jet should only be "minimally damaged." This meant shooting out the tires and cutting control wires. It did not mean completely destroying it. This message caused problems later. It was not clearly worded. The SEALs had to change their plan quickly. They had to get much closer to the plane than they expected.
The three SEAL platoons then moved forward. They advanced up the airfield. Golf platoon got into position near the hangar. This was around 1:05 AM. Then, Lt. Cmdr. Toohey got another message. It said that Panamanian armored cars were coming to the airport.
To stop these vehicles, a small group of SEALs was ordered to set up an ambush. They were from Squad One of Golf Platoon. As they stood up to move, Panamanian soldiers opened fire. These soldiers were already in the airfield. Two SEALs were killed right away. Five more were wounded.
The other two SEAL platoons quickly moved to help Golf platoon. Within a few minutes, they had taken control of the hangars. But two more SEALs were killed. Four more were wounded. The SEALs then disabled Noriega's private plane. They used an AT4 rocket to shoot it.
Soon after, a helicopter arrived. It was a MEDEVAC helicopter. It took the injured SEALs to a medical point. This was at Howard Air Force Base. The remaining SEALs held the airport area all night. They also made the runway unusable. They rolled other planes onto it. This stopped any Panamanian transport planes from landing. The next day, soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment took over from the SEALs.
After the Battle
The Battle of Paitilla Airport had many casualties. One-quarter of the attacking SEAL force was killed or wounded. Because of this, and problems with planning and communication, it is considered a very difficult operation. This is from the U.S. military's point of view.
Four U.S. Navy SEALs died in the battle:
- Lt. j.g. John Patrick Connors, 25, from Arlington, Massachusetts.
- Chief Engineman Donald Lewis McFaul, 32, from San Diego, California.
- Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Christopher Taylor Tilghman, 30, from Kailua, Hawaii.
- Torpedoman's Mate 2nd Class Isaac George Rodriguez III, 24, from Missouri City, Texas.
Nine other Navy SEALs were also wounded during the fight.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla del Aeropuerto de Paitilla para niños
