Remembering Beirut (40th anniversary)

[USMCGrunt]

"40 years ago today, 220 Marines, 18 Sailors, and 3 Soldiers were killed in a bombing at the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

The Marines were part of a multinational force of troops from the US, UK, France and Italy intent on fostering peace during the Lebanese Civil War. 58 French servicemen were also killed in the bombing.

The sacrifice of our service members and the heroic efforts by Marines in the aftermath of the attack will never be forgotten.

Fair Winds and Following Seas"

United States Marine Corps on LinkedIn: 40th Anniversary Beirut | 194 comments

40 years ago today, 220 Marines, 18 Sailors, and 3 Soldiers were killed in a bombing at the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The… | 194 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

 

[Capt MJ]

Never forget.

 

[THParent]

I for one, will never forget that it was Islamic Jihad, with Iran-backed Hezbollah playing a part as well.\

 

[AF6872]

Never Forget. They don't at Lejeune. Unfortunatly we have too many of these. Not near main gate and out of the way but impressive.

 

[Heatherg21]

I remember my mom and dad being in tears. Which terrified me, and then me crying. Such a horrific loss.

 

[AF6872]

I never shed a tear when I took my oldest to the Wall and she did stone rubbings on the panels of my friends names. They were gone but not forgotten and in my mind forever young on the basketball court and the football field. OK, once in a while the tears come.

 

[kinnem]

Never Forget. They don't at Lejeune. Unfortunatly we have too many of these. Not near main gate and out of the way but impressive.

Is this near the Montford Point Monument?

 

[AF6872]

Camp Gilbert H. Johnson. Don't know if that is close.

 

[severn]

... tears?
... the first staff meeting after Fallujah, missing the Delta Company Commander and the Command Sergeant Major. RIP.

 

[OldRetSWO]

"40 years ago today, 220 Marines, 18 Sailors, and 3 Soldiers were killed in a bombing at the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.

The Marines were part of a multinational force of troops from the US, UK, France and Italy intent on fostering peace during the Lebanese Civil War. 58 French servicemen were also killed in the bombing.

The sacrifice of our service members and the heroic efforts by Marines in the aftermath of the attack will never be forgotten.

Fair Winds and Following Seas"

United States Marine Corps on LinkedIn: 40th Anniversary Beirut | 194 comments

40 years ago today, 220 Marines, 18 Sailors, and 3 Soldiers were killed in a bombing at the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. The… | 194 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

I'd spent 6 months there - up close at 1 mile from the beach for just about the entire 6 months and was there when the embassy was attacked.
We came home and were set to leave Norfolk for Morehead City NC to onload Marines for an Amphibious Exercise the day after (Monday) the
barracks went down.
Actually, when the news reports first came out, I was driving from Annapolis to Norfolk in a set of soaking wet choker whites due to some
exuberant celebration where we jumped off of the Sailing Center roof into the boat basin following by BFF's wedding. Upon hearing the
new reports, my car went to Warp Speed for the rest of trip as I knew I might be needed and felt that no ticket would come my way which it
did not.

 

[WT Door]

Seems like yesterday. I keep this cover of Time in my cruise book. Pictured in the bottom half of the cover is Chaplain George Pucciarelli. Fr. Pucciarelli was embedded with the Marines during our cruise over a year earlier. He administered last rites to Marines and servicemen in Lebanon after the bombing. Killed in the barracks bombing was a Marine that had steamed with us during our MARG deployment, 1st Lt. Don Woollett (USNA '80). RIP Lt. Woollett. Closely connected to this event were the retaliatory carrier air strikes that President Reagan ordered in response to the bombing. Lt Mark Lange, USN was killed in action December 4, 1983 when his A6E was struck by a surface to air missile over Lebanon. His BN (bombardier/navigator and (@OldRetSWO's classmate), Lt Bobby Goodman, USN, safely ejected. He was taken prisoner and eventually released about a month later.
Never Forget.

 

[AF6872]

"Only the dead have seen the end of war". Credited to Plato, Santayana or MacArthur but unfortunately throughout millennia still true.

 

[cb7893]

I do not want to take attention away from the memory of the event or the lost souls in Beirut. I do think this thread is a better place to post this article than the other Israel/Gaza threads.

I have no advice or opinion to offer concerning the latest Middle Eastern Crisis. I can only hope that lessons were learned and passed on to the current generation of Nat Security and Military leadership.

Pentagon rushes defenses and advisers to Middle East as Israel's ground assault in Gaza looms

The Pentagon has sent advisers, including a Marine Corps general versed in urban warfare, to Israel to assist in its plans to conduct a ground assault in Gaza.

apnews.com

 

[AF6872]

Gen. Eric Smith, Commandant at the 40th annivery of the 24th MEU at rememberence at Camp Lejeune.
"I'll be less diplomatic and more Marine-Like". "For those that are in the area. If that 26 MEU has to go in. If you target them, someone else will raise your children". Nice to hear from someone at the Pentagon with a backbone. Daughter did a summer block on Bataan during Boston Fleet Week and we had the full tour. Amzing facilities.

 

[AF6872]

I have been recently hearing of requests for Some "Humanitarian Pauses" in the expected IDF retaliations. Try telling that to Patton's Third Army. Douglass MaCarthur, Admiral Spruance, The 101st at Bastogne at the battle of the Bulge and Nimitz in the Pacific. When your way of life and existence is on the line there are no compromises. Yes the Christmas Truce of WWI is a great story but that was better days over one hundred years ago.

 

[AF6872]

From Charlemagne, El Cid and to the Gates of Vienna it will never end. Unless defeated every few hundred or so years they believe in the domination of the world and Inshallah. Unless you want to pay the Dhimmi Jizya Tax and bow to your acclaimed betters that is your choice. Not for me. MOLON LABE.

 

[AF6872]

Washington rushes Advisers to the Middle East in 2023. They tried the same thing in 1963 in SEA and how did that work out?