On October 23, 1983 at 6:22 AM, a large delivery truck drove to the Beirut International Airport where US Marines, serving as part of a multinational force were billeted. They were in Lebanon to help keep the peace in a land torn asunder by internal strife, fueled by outside influence.
The truck contained 12,000 lbs of TNT. The driver detonated the truck bomb and in this cowardly act killed 220 Marines 18 Navy personnel and three Soldiers, along with sixty Americans injured.
Unfortunately, the deaths did not end there. Two minutes later, the barracks of the French contingent was attacked with a bomb killing 58 paratroopers from the 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment and wounding another 15.
To make the day even more tragic, the Lebanese janitor of the American barracks as well as the wife and four children of a Lebanese janitor at the French building were also killed.
Remember all of them and their sacrifice today.
Still to this day I can’t believe the marines on guard didn’t have loaded rifles. Never forgoteen
Sick act of voilence against people who brought stability to the country.
My thoughts are with their familys.
Good article, never thought about the Lebanese loss and the French are often forgotten.
Thank you for the reminder. I was serving in the 82nd Airborne Division at the time and we were put on high alert in case we needed over there. A few weeks later I was also part of an 82nd Airborne Division Honor Guard for the memorial service at Camp Lejune for those guys.
Makes ya remember that “the good old days” weren’t always that good.