Remember October 23d.

[MikeIsaj]

On Sunday morning, October 23, 1982, a terrorist truck bomb entered the Marine compound in Beirut Lebanon. I crashed through 2 fences and around two guard posts. Contrary to what you may hear, the guards opened fire to no effect. The truck was armored, the tires filled with calcium. It ran through the guard shack and entered the building being used as headquarters for Battalion Landing Team 1/8, of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit. It stopped inside the atrium and was probably remote detonated. The explosion blew the four story concrete building apart, and the floors and roofed pancaked down. When the dust settled 241 Marines were dead, including several friends of mine. Many more were wounded.

This Sunday, please take a few moments to remember these men who answered the call of duty and never came home. Remember too the families and now grown children that they left behind.

Thank you.

 

[MechAg94]

Thanks for the reminder.
Days like that are always worth remember if only to insure it never happens again.

 

[Rezin]

Semper Fi 1/8!

 

[psyopspec]

I was born November 9 of the same year. Headlines on the local paper that day were about the funerals for marines from my area.

They are not forgotten.

 

[mbs357]

I would post this on my home forum, but most of them are liberal Bush haters and will find some way to turn it into some huge anti-Bush orgy.

 

[kikilee]

Semper Fi!

 

[M99M12]

Tires filled with calcium?

God rest their souls.

 

[MikeIsaj]

Tires filled with calcium

They pump a slurry of calcium and water into the tires. The added weight that low greatly enhances the stability of the vehicle. It also makes it impractical to shoot them out. They dont deflate very fast. Most farm tractors are filled this way.

 

[Pilgrim]

1983.
I was a pilot in the carrier air wing on USS Ranger when this occurred. Ranger was held in the North Arabian Sea for 121 days in anticipation of launching punitive raids on Iran.

 

[shermacman]

Thanks for the post.
I will not forget.
Semper Fi!

 

[chaim]

I was a kid (12) when it happened, but old enough (and very into military issues) that it made an impression. I also worked with a guy about 10 years later who had been there. I won't forget it, and I won't forget about the guys who were there, it is the least those of us who weren't there can do.