Word: air
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Even as she declared the situation under control, Aquino made a humiliating admission of weakness: she requested and was granted U.S. military assistance. The rapid deployment of several U.S. F-4 Phantoms from Clark Air Base, the American air base north of Manila, retook the skies for Aquino. The unusually decisive action by George Bush earned him bipartisan praise for coming to the rescue of democracy. Said U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell: "The President's decision was an appropriate and prudent one under the circumstances." But Aquino may be haunted by her decision for the rest of her political...
Bush received word of the coup before departing for Malta, and was kept posted on events while he was aboard Air Force One. Just before 11 p.m. Thursday , Bush learned of Aquino's request that U.S. fighters place an "aggressive cap" over two airfields near Manila from which the rebels had launched attacks against government positions. Meanwhile, Vice President Dan Quayle chaired a crisis-management group in the White House Situation Room to review options. At 11:30 the Quayle group recommended granting Aquino's request, and Bush approved it an hour later. In addition, 100 U.S. Marines, part...
...scale of the uprising had surprised and panicked Aquino. Rebel troops quickly took over Villamor Air Base and blocked loyal pilots from taking off in their helicopter gunships. Fort Bonifacio fell. Minutes later, the rebels sent patrols down the runway of the neighboring international airport, effectively shutting it down. At the same time, two truckloads of insurgent marines led a convoy of cars and trucks toward TV Channels 2 and 4, about 20 minutes away in Quezon City. They entered the grounds of Channel 4, the government station, without being challenged; 45 minutes later Channel 2 was also occupied...
...until three hours after the fall of Villamor did Aquino go on the air to address her people. Speaking on Channel 9, a privately owned network, the President said, "We shall smash this shameless and naked attempt once more. This nation must never again be allowed to fall into the hands of tyrants." At that point, the government counterattack began. Seven army trucks headed for Channel 4 and a fire fight with rebel forces there. Ramos and De Villa monitored the crisis from Camp Crame, the constabulary headquarters...
...rebels kept up the pressure. With vintage T-28 aircraft they knocked the government off the air by bombing Channel 9 just as Aquino was announcing that the situation had been "contained." They pinned down loyalist forces by hitting Crame and the presidential palace. One palace staff member was hurt, but Aquino was unscathed. On a recommendation by Ramos, she relayed a request for U.S. air support to Washington and to U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Platt...