I have only a vague recollection of these events. A web search yields some interesting information and insights. I still have (at least) two questions:
Do the people of the Dominican Republic still harbour any resentment to the USA for its actions? Or, is there, perhaps, lingering gratitude?
What were the US media’s and “the man in the (US) streets” responses at the time?
I can’t speak to question #1, but as to question #2 the U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic was a big news story at the time, but U.S. activity in Vietnam overshadowed it.
The U.S. has been invading Central American and Caribbean countries on a fairly regular basis in the 20th Century.
Most likely in 1965 (and I’m just guessing here because that’s the year I was born), the “man in the street” wouldn’t have opposed the invasion of the Dominican Republic too strongly as there hadn’t yet been widespread opposition to the Vietnam War. War protestors in 1965 were still considered left wing extremists. Also, Americans historically have looked upon intervention in Western Hemisphere matters much more favorably than intervention in other parts of the world.
My wife is Dominican, and we just got back from our honeymoon two weeks ago, which began with our marriage in Santo Domingo. I’ve asked her about this event, which she she doesn’t really remember herself (she’s 31). She doesn’t seem to harbor either ire or gratitude; both times the Marines were in the D.R. are simply part of the country’s history to her. (The Marines were also there on an extended basis at the beginning of the century).