Northeastern University - Cauldron Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Marines Die in Beirut Surely one of the most tragic stories of the last five years was the brutal terrorist attack on the multi-national peace-keeping force in Lebanon. The attack came in mid-October 1983, and left 240 Americans dead and many others injured. The attack occurred while most of the troops were asleep in the compound ' s barracks. A lone suicidal truck driver from a fanatical Islamic group, crashed his vehicle filled with explosives into the compound. The driver was able to pass guard booths with limited problems. Corporal Eddie DiFranco was one of those on guard duty that morning and commented, He (the driver) looked right at me, smiled, that ' s it. I kind of stared for a couple of seconds, then started to load my weapon. I got a round in the chamber after the truck was already through the gate. There wasn ' t much difference for that truck going that speed. News of the attack reached the United States early on a Sunday morning. President Reagan quickly went on national television to take responsibility for the deaths of the Marines. Unclear reports came from Beirut over why the troops were caught by surprise, and why they weren ' t allowed to fire their weapons unless they were ordered. The loss of lives brought vivid images of Vietnam back to many Americans. Public pressure for the withdrawal of these troops mounted, until they were removed a few months later. Innocent soldiers had been killed by the barbaric act of an Islamic group. The attempted peace mission (a truly hopeful chance for stability) was ended by this tragedy. Grenada Is Invaded ;• $x-.i 0 ii tow. A Nation Starves As the holiday season arrived in 1984, shocking reports were publicized on the massive problems of starvation in Ethiopia. Nearly 1 1 million persons were reported starving in the east African country as a result of war, drought, and internal government problems. An estimated 2 million had reportedly perished during 1984, due to a lack of food and medical care. The reports were effective ' in beginning an international effort to combat the desperate conditions. Food, equipment, and other materials were sent to the country from east and west. Although many of these supplies were distributed, sources claimed that the Ethiopian government was not allowing the full relief measures to reach the people. In the United States, relief agencies were never busier, according to officials at Oxfam. The charity organization reported that American contributions were sent at the rate of more than $1 million per month beginning in November. The European Economic Community sent 55,000 metric tons of grain during December. A group of England ' s most noted rock musicians recorded a Christmas song that raised mqre than $2 million for relief efforts. Despite these humane efforts, divisions in Ethiopian politics prevented most of this aid-from being delivered. The Communist government reportedly refused to provide food for suspected rebels, while rebels were accused of preventing people from going to government relief centers. The Reagan administration distributed 195,000 metric tons of food, while the Soviets donated 20,000 metric tons of rice.. In addition, the United States sent doctors and medical supplies to the country.

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A Peacemaker Is Murdered The chances for peace and stability in the Middle East suffered a serious setback on October 6, 1981, when Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat was assassinated while reviewing a parade of troops in Cairo. Sadat was in a reviewing stand, when several men jumped from a passing jeep and charged at the Egyptian President. They fired at the stand and hurled a grenade killing Sadat, several others, and injuring many of the attendees. Following the savage attack, Vice-President Hosni Mubarek spoke to a grieving nation informing them that their leader was dead. He added that Sadat ' s foreign and domestic policies would continue to be followed. Sadat had spent 11 years as President, and had established himself as a stable figure in an otherwise chaotic area of the world. His quest for peace with Israel had led to the Camp David agreements and an Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979. Sadat was an original leader in his approach to the overwhelming domestic problems in Egypt. In dealing with foreign matters he was truly courageous, as demonstrated by his historic trip to Jerusalem in November 1977. This act paved the way for a peace between Egypt and Israel — one that he hoped would encourage similar pacts by other Middle East countries. Although Sadat received high acclaim throughout most of the world for his peace initiatives, he was isolated from the rest of the Arab world. His relations with Israel angered his former allies, as it allowed Israel to concentrate on its eastern and northern fronts. Nevertheless, Sadat ' s policies had brought a ray of hope into the region. He still had many problems on the domestic front, however, his foreign policies were his outstanding achievements. In 1978, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin) for his efforts to stabilize the region. Top Soviet Official Leonid Brezhnev, 75. General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, died of a heart attack at 8:30 a.m. on November 10, 1982. Brezhnev was buried in ceremonies at Red Square where he had made his last public appearance eight days earlier. He had been reviewing the parade marking the 65th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution. Brezhnev had been the leader of the Soviet Union for 18 years after working his way up through the Russian bureaucratic network. He was born in the Ukranian industrial town of Kamensoye in 1907. The Bolshevik Revolution occurred when he was still a child. In 1923, he joined the Komosol, Communist youth organization. He attended vocational school, before taking his first job as a supervisor of land distribution in the Urals. Brezhnev became a Communist Party member in 1931, as he earned an engineering degree. He became a protege of Nikita Kruschev. and later took part in the conspiracy against him. In 1966, Brezhnev assumed the title of General Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, which gave him control over the party. During most of his term, he led a furthering of detente, especially with Richard Nixon. As his health worsened, Soviet policy took a radical turn including the invasion of Afghanistan. This led to a cooling off of relations between east and west, so that at his death tension was extremely high. Soviets Down Korean Plane The Soviet Union faced worldwide protest following their attack on Korean Airlines (KAL) 747 . me on September 1, 1983. The incident resulted in the (I. : arsons, including 61 Americans, as the plane crashed int Japan. The Korean aircraft was allegedly off course when the ' -■■ attacked, claiming the passenger plane was within their air space. They claimed that the aircraft was on a spy mission, despite its obvious commercial intentions. An An i (5 reconnaissance plane had been in the area earlier, but the 747 was so different it was unlikely that it could have been mistaken for the US plane. The aircraft was destroy ' int the water. Russian and Japanese vessels unsuccessfully searched the area for wreckage and bodies. Gradually, some items washed ashore, but no bodies were ever found. President Ronald Reagan charged that the murder of innocent civilians is a serious international issue between the Soviet Union and civilized people everywhere. Congressman Lawrence P MacDonald of Georgia was one of the Americans killed in the disaster MacDonald was a strong opponent of communism and the national chairman of il Birch Society. Following his death, his wife Kathy claimed the attack was deliberately aimed at her late husband She compared the attack to the assassination attempt on Pope Paul II Although there was no strong US or world response, there was an important impact from the incident. Japan ' s perception of the potential Soviet threat to its security Increase . ngthened US-Japanese military ties.

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, , ; V- ,:0 Gold Medal Glory for the U.S. at The 1984 Olympics Every four years, the Olympic Games turn unknown amateur athletes into overnight American heroes. The winter and summer Olympics of 1984 were no different, as gold medals were hung around the necks of Scott Hamilton, Mary Lou Retton, Edwin Moses, and Evelyn Ashford, to name just a few. The Winter Olympics were dominated as usual by the northern European countries and the Soviet Union. The XIV Winter Olympic Games were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia amidst the scenic beauty and warm hospitality of that nation. While the Soviets and East Germans battled to the wire for the total medals victory, several athletes from the United States performed in spectacular fashion. Scott Hamilton was near perfect in his gold medal performance, as he brought one of the most emotional ovations from spectators. Bill Johnson surprised the world by capturing the first medal ever for the United States in an Olympic downhill by taking the gold. Brothers Phil and Steve Mahre took the gold and silver medals respectively in the men ' s slalom. Rosalyn Sumners captured the hearts of millions in her silver medal performance. The men ' s hockey team failed to live up to the high standards set by its 1980 predecessor ' s gold medal victory, but the team proved that the United States can play competitive hockey on an international level. The Summer Olympics were held in the United States and dominated by the host country. While the Soviets chose to stay home for security reasons, a record number of countries chose to attend the games. There were no security incidents throughout the event, as the United States hosted one of the most memorable and safe Olympics of recent memory. From the outset of the opening ceremonies, the United States demonstrated its own warmth in a Hollywood-type fashion. However, it was the performance of many American athletes that warmed the hearts of many throughout the country. A bundle of smiling energy named Mary Lou Retton tumbled her way into the hearts of viewers. On her way to a gold medal performance, Mary Lou earned a perfect score of ten and established U.S. women ' s gymnastics as a top program. Likewise, the men ' s gymnasts were able to capture the overall men ' s title. The United States earned gold medals at the track as Carl Lewis, Joan Benoit, Evelyn Ashford, and Edwin Moses captured gold medals. The swimming pool, boxing ring, cycling track, and basketball court all held similar results for the United States team. Ultimately, the US dominated the total medals column as they set an Olympic record. While the Soviets claimed the results were tarnished due to their absence, the large number of record performances could not be disputed. While the Olympics were a time for athletes to shine, Peter Ueberroth, the President and Organizer of the Summer Olympics, also gained a great deal of attention for his work that made the games a success. His efforts earned him many awards, including Time ' s Man of the Year. Ferraro Aims for White House In an election year of otherwise low drama and typically boring campaign rhetoric, Walter Mondale infused excitement into the race for the White House by choosing Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. At the Democratic National Convention in July of 1984, history was made as Mondale announced his decision to place a woman on the presidential ticket. The choice of Ferraro brought mixed emotions from voters throughout the country. However, few denied the historic significance of a Mondale Ferraro candidacy. In fact, Ferraro ' s place on the ticket was important enough for many to tag the race as Reagan Bush vs. Ferraro Mondale. It was obvious that Ferraro was placed on the ticket to bring needed attention to the Democrats, as Reagan was still holding a huge lead in the polls. Ferraro enabled the Democrats ' campaign to begin with a fresh direction, and at the same time caused Republicans to revise their campaign strategy. In the following four months, Ferraro ' s appearance at rallies brought out huge crowds. These same crowds often shrank when Mondale was introduced. In mid-August, Ferraro lost some of her appeal when a crisis involving her husband ' s personal finances was revealed. When the details were released through the media, Ferraro ' s reputation was slightly damaged. In addition, Ferraro ' s political stance supporting abortion outraged many Catholic and pro- life voters. At Democratic rallies, pro-life supporters often showed up and demonstrated against Ferraro ' s policies. Nevertheless, the historic significance was not diminished of a woman being placed on a presidential ticket. Whether or not this sets a precedent for future elections will only be determined in years to come. It seems reasonable to conclude that women will at least be given considerable attention as possible running mates. Who knows? In 1988, maybe Ferraro will be in the position of choosing her running mate.