Yesterday my son got married. So I'm a little behind on posting. I've got two Medal of Honor posts to finish up.
But I'm enough behind that I got a note from a reader named Steve:
This kind of note to me is *always* in order, by the way. Don't be shy.
26 years ago today - arguably the first mass casualty event in the Long War was the suicide bombing that killed and wounded the Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers at the Marine Barracks in Beirut.
I would be remiss to forget to mention that 58 French soldiers died that day, too.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.
Photo by Ron Williams.
But I'm enough behind that I got a note from a reader named Steve:
I am kind of surprised to see that not one of the blogs I frequent took
note of the fact that 26 years ago today 241 of my fellow Marines and
Sailors were killed in their sleep by terrorists in Beirut. Several of the
were men I knew and had served with.
Could you kindly hook them up? They deserve to be remembered too.
This kind of note to me is *always* in order, by the way. Don't be shy.
26 years ago today - arguably the first mass casualty event in the Long War was the suicide bombing that killed and wounded the Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers at the Marine Barracks in Beirut.
| Abbott, Terry W Alexander, Clemon S Allman, John R Arnold, Moses J Jr Bailey, Charles K Baker, Nicholas Banks, Johansen Barrett, Richard E Bates, Ronny K Battle, David L Baynard, James R Beamon, Jesse W Belmer, Alvin Bland, Stephen Blankenship, Richard L Blocker, John W Boccia, Joseph J Jr Bohannon, Leon Jr Bohnet, John R Jr Bonk, John J Jr Boulos, Jeffrey L Bousum, David R Boyett, John N Brown, Anthony Brown, David W Buchanan, Bobby S Jr Buckmaster, John B Burley, William F Cain, Jimmy R Callahan, Paul L Camara, Mecot E Campus, Bradley J Ceasar, Johnnie D Cole, Marc L Coleman, Marcus A Comas, Juan M Conley, Robert A Cook, Charles D Cooper, Curtis J Copeland, Johnny L Corcoran, Bert D Cosner, David L Coulman, Kevin P Croft, Brett A Crudale, Rick R Custard, Kevin P Cyzick, Russell E Davis, Andrew L Decker, Sidney James Devlin, Michael J Dibenedetto, Thomas A Dorsey, Nathaniel G Douglass, Frederick B Dunnigan, Timothy J Earle, Bryan L Edwards, Roy L Elliot, William D Jr Ellison, Jesse Estes, Danny R Estler, Sean F Faulk, James E Fluegel, Richard A Forrester, Steven M Foster, William B Jr Fulcher, Michael D Fuller, Benjamin E Fulton, Michael S Gaines, William Jr Gallagher, Sean R Gander, David B Gangur, George M Gann, Leland E Garcia, Randall J Garcia, Ronald J Gay, David D Ghumm, Harold D Gibbs, Warner Jr Giblin, Timothy R Gorchinski, Michael W Gordon, Richard J Gratton, Harold F Greaser, Robert B Green, Davin M Hairston, Thomas A Haltiwanger, Freddie Jr Hamilton, Virgil D Hanton, Gilbert Hart, William Haskell, Michael S Hastings, Michael A Hein, Paul A Held, Douglas E Helms, Mark A Henderson, Ferrandy D Hernandez, Matilde Jr Hester, Stanley G Hildreth, Donald W Holberton, Richard H Holland, Robert S Hollingshead, Bruce A Holmes, Melvin D Howard, Bruce L Hudson, John R Hudson, Terry L Hue, Lyndon J Hukill, Maurice E Iacovino, Edward F Jr Ingalls, John J Innocenzi, Paul G III Jackowski, James J James, Jeffrey W Jenkins, Nathaniel W Johnson, Michael H Johnston, Edward A Jones, Steven Julian, Thomas A Kees, Marion E Keown, Thomas C Kimm, Edward E Kingsley, Walter V Kluck, Daniel S Knipple, James C Kreischer, Freas H III Laise, Keith J Lamb, Thomas G Langon, James J IV Lariviere, Michael S Lariviere, Steven B Lemnah, Richard L Lewis, David A Lewis, Val S Livingston, Joseph R Lyon, Paul D Jr Macroglou, John W Maitland, Samuel Martin, Charlie R Martin, Jack L Massa, David S Massman, Michael R Mattacchione, Joseph J McCall, John McDonough, James E McMahon, Timothy R McNeely, Timothy D McVicker, George N II Melendez, Louis Menkins, Richard H II Mercer, Michael D Meurer, Ronald W Milano, Joseph P Moore, Joseph P Morrow, Richard A Muffler, John F Munoz, Alex Myers, Harry D Nairn, David J Nava, Luis A Olson, John A Olson, Robert P Ortiz, Richard C Owen, Jeffrey B Owens, Joseph A Page, Connie Ray Parker, Ulysses Payne, Mark W Pearson, John L Perron, Thomas S Phillips, John A Jr Piercy, George W Plymel, Clyde W Pollard, William H Pomalestorres, Rafael I Prevatt, Victor M Price, James C Prindeville, Patrick K Pulliam, Eric A Quirante, Diomedes J Randolph, David M Ray, Charles R Relvas, Rui A Rich, Terrence L Richardson, Warren Rodriguez, Juan C Rotondo, Louis J Sanpedro, Guillermo Jr Sauls, Michael C Schnorf, Charles J Schultz, Scott L Scialabba, Peter J Scott, Gary R Shallo, Ronald L Shipp, Thomas A Shropshire, Jerryl D Silvia, James F Sliwinski, Stanley J Smith, Kirk H Smith, Thomas G Smith, Vincent L Soares, Edward Sommerhof, William S Spaulding, Michael C Spearing, John W Spencer, Stephen E Stelpflug, Bill J Stephens, Horace R Stockton, Craig S Stokes, Jeffrey G Stowe, Thomas D Sturghill, Eric D Sundar, Devon L Surch, James F Jr Thompson, Dennis A Thorstad, Thomas P Tingley, Stephen D Tishmack, John J Trahan, Lex D Vallone, Donald H Jr Walker, Eric R Walker, Leonard W Washington, Eric G Weekes, Obrian Wells, Tandy W Wentworth, Steven B Wesley, Allen D West, Lloyd D Weyl, John R Wherland, Burton D Jr Wigglesworth, Dwayne W Williams, Rodney J Williams, Scipio Jr Williamson, Johnny A Wint, Walter E Jr Winter, William E Wolfe, John E Woollett, Donald E Worley, David E Wyche, Craig L Yarber, James G Young, Jeffrey D Zimmerman, William A |
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I would be remiss to forget to mention that 58 French soldiers died that day, too.
Now is the time at Castle Argghhh! when we dance: In Memoriam.
Photo by Ron Williams.
I was on Mid-watch that night, when all the alarms, bells and whistles started sounding all over the Embassy. I called in the alert team and after a few minutes, one of the commo techs came downstairs and told me what had happened.
Using my initiative as a young Marine NCO, I promptly marched up to the Ambassadors balcony and raised our Flag to half-mast. Yeah, I jumped the gun, but I made a command decision to do it.
What really irks me about this murder of my fellow Marines, was that NO ONE was ever held accountable. Not one of the State Dept weenies and/or military officers whose idiotic ROE and failure to complete security barriers ever suffered a whit as far as I can tell.
Foolish as the policy on being in Lebanon was in the first place, IMHO, it was criminal negligence that directly resulted in the deaths of my fellow Marines and our Corpsmen.
Where was and is the accountability?
And yes, the same can be said for what is currently happening in Afghanistan.
Don't miss UltimaRatioReg's post at the US Naval Institute blog
"23 October 1983; A Blast that Still Echoes"
http://blog.usni.org/?p=4819
I remember the rage that went through us all when word came down. There was much motivation to do exactly what Olga and her people feared, either at the direct cause or at their buddies in Norkland.
Forgetting this day has never happened before and I'll make damned sure it never happens again. Thanks for the keeping their memories alive.
Thank you for the reminder, John.
And congrats on the new official daughter-in-law!
I approve!
Happy Congratulations on the marriage to everyone involved!
The thing that angers me the most is that Iran and Syria have NEVER really been held to account for their part in the bombing, and we continue to let Iran kill Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan while letting them divert our attention from their WMD program with their hudnal circle jerk of "negotiations".
Sleep well, brave ones. Semper Fi.