Sounds like our first trip to SXM in 1973 (or 04?) and our earliest introduction to the island.

We deplaned from our KLM plane on the runway and were met by a line of armed soldiers instructing us to "Run, run, run....." for the shelter of the terminal. There were more soldiers with guns and sand bunkers on the terminal roof as well as soldiers with guns and dogs patrolling the outskirts of the airport. The 'Friendly Island' my foot!!

We later were told that world wide threats had been made by the PLO, calling for the bombing of KLM planes. It was quite the island intro and one we never forgot. Haven't seen anything like it since and hope we never do again.

We spoke to a life-long island resident about it a few years ago and he said he recalled hearing about it when he was a young man but living on 'the other side of the hill' he hadn't seen it firsthand. It was a very different island all those many years ago, for sure!