Embassy in Ruins: A Marine Security Guard and the 1972 Managua Earthquake

When the 1972 Managua earthquake struck Nicaragua on December 23, it killed thousands and destroyed much of the capital. Anthony Trzupek was the senior Marine Security Guard at the U.S. Embassy that night, and with the detachment commander away, he was the one in charge. In this episode, he recounts surviving the violent 48 seconds of shaking, reaching the embassy through the wreckage, and leading the effort to rescue American staff from collapsed buildings — including a secretary trapped in a crushed townhouse. He describes the days that followed: securing the embassy against looters, evacuating American citizens, the death of the U.S. consul general, and the lasting toll the disaster took on him, including a decades-long struggle with PTSD and alcohol and his eventual recovery.