ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada -- The building where Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was executed still stands, punctured by bullet holes, but adjacent buildings have been reduced to rubble, crushed by Hurricane Ivan's deadly winds. Today, islanders mark the 21st anniversary of Bishop's death and the deadly US invasion that followed. The anniversary comes as residents struggle to rebuild after Ivan tore through Grenada on Sept. 7, killing 39 people and damaging or destroying 90 percent of the island's buildings. While most residents united in the face of the disaster, many remain divided over the US invasion. "The intervention was a good thing," said Godfrey Butler, a 52-year-old unemployed taxi driver. "It was good for the country. In those days, you were not free to speak your mind and go where you want. People harassed you, but things are different now." Others still consider Bishop a hero who they believe would have done a better job of rebuilding the island after Ivan than the nation's current leaders. "He was much better than these in place now," said Alice Charles, a 44-year-old beverage vendor. "Half of my mind is on the events of this week and the other half is to do with Ivan because my house was badly damaged and I have no insurance." Grenada became a point of contention in the Cold War after Bishop led a bloodless coup and installed a Marxist government in 1979. In October 1983, Marxists within the government staged another coup, and on Oct. 19 a firing squad killed Bishop and 10 of his supporters. Six days after Bishop's killing, President Reagan ordered an invasion and US troops led a force that included soldiers from nearby islands. Reagan said the invasion was to restore order and protect American interests, particularly the lives of hundreds of American medical students. But he also ordered it because his administration suspected Grenada's airport would become a joint Cuban-Soviet base. Cuba insisted it was helping build the airport for civilian uses only. The 1983 invasion remains controversial and some details remain unclear, including the number of Grenadians killed. The US government says 45 Grenadians, 24 Cubans, and 19 US troops died in the military action. Sixteen plotters of the 1983 coup remain in prison, sentenced to life, including former Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard. Originally, 17 people were sentenced for their role in the coup, but Coard's wife, Phyllis, was freed in 2000 to undergo cancer treatment and now lives in Jamaica. Coard watched scores of inmates climb out of Grenada's crumbling 17th century prison when Hurricane Ivan tore away the roof and parts of the walls. About 150 of the Richmond Hill Prison's 325 inmates fled, but most returned or were recaptured. Coard stayed put with the 15 others convicted in the coup, saying they would leave the Richmond Hill Prison only when their names were cleared. Coard and the others are awaiting appeals before the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal and Britain's Privy Council. They say their sentences were improperly handed down. Hearings are scheduled to begin next month in St. Lucia. "We had a situation that unfolded spontaneously," Coard said, recalling the coup. "No one could have conceivably predicted what happened. There was no plan to kill anybody." To this day, some Grenadians complain of U.S. meddling in the trial that convicted the so-called "Grenada 17." Some defense witnesses were barred, and prosecutors and judges were paid with a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. government, according to Richard Hart, who briefly served as attorney general under Bishop. SOURCE: BOSTON.COM