1983 Beirut Barracks Bombing
‘And the building was gone.’
On Sunday morning, 23 Oct 1983, a 19-ton yellow Mercedes stake-bed truck entered a public parking lot at the heart of Beirut International Airport. The lot was adjacent to the headquarters of the U.S. 8th Marine Regiment’s 1st Battalion, where some 350 American service members slept in a four-story concrete aviation administration building.
Battalion Landing Team 1/8 was the ground element of the 1,800-man 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU), which had deployed to Lebanon a year earlier as part of a multinational peacekeeping force also comprising French, Italian and British troops.
At 6:20 in the morning, the suicide bomber drove the truck loaded with two thousand pounds of explosives into the lobby of the Marine barracks and detonated, killing 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and 3 soldiers. It was one of the most powerful and lethal car bombs ever detonated.
It was also the deadliest day for the Corps since the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.
Indiana Republican Rep. Greg Pence introduced a House Resolution in 2020 to designate October 23 as a National Day of Remembrance.
That resolution never made it out of committee.
Fair winds and following seas. Hat tip to Roh-Dog for the gentle reminder.
Category: Beirut, Lebanon, Marine Corps, We Remember
What timing with this anniversary and article… a man running for mayor in my hometown against the Republican who has held the office since 1994 claims to be a “Marine Corp veteran,” and “receipient of the combat action medal in Beirut.”
Overheard some vets talking about those typos and claims today. Can’t believe this is nearly 40 years ago now…
Drop the name to Admin Deckie, we’ll no the truth is a few months. I think we’ve seen more phonies that claim to have “been there and dug my buddies out of the rubble” than the number of Warriors that were murdered that day.
“…never made it out of committee.” Yeppers, but they can make sure statues and memorials to a dead junkie are placed all over the countryside.
Rest Easy Warriors, we will remember you.
The individual that attends that Admin mailbox may be away for about a week. May want to post info to: https://militaryphony.com/report-form/
” a man running for mayor in my hometown ”
Just give us the name of the hometown. We have some awesome researchers here at TAH who might enjoy a mouse hunt.
Ran it by them and he looks legit which is a relief, though whoever runs his campaign or made the flyers should have let him proofread them. Surprised he wouldn’t have caught it himself.
Okay, glad to hear that. Thought maybe you were speaking of Daniel J. Wall there for a moment.
God bless the families, friends and the fallen.
May we never forget.
Yeah me and my team were there and we barely survive the blast and then we spent the next day pulling all the bodies out of the rubble before they were all tragically killed and I was the only survivor.
/sarc (in before more creative bullshit)
// I’ll never forget.
I will make sure to recommend you for the Medal of Honor Participation Medal….
We were making deliveries on W 47 st (nyc Diamond district) when we heard about the tragic bombing.
This Beirut Marine (22nd MAU, BLT 2/6) will never forget.
Semper Fidelis.
Marine,
I lost several brothers from boot camp there. Shore party 1/8. Semper Fidelis.
I have never forgotten,and never will.
Respectfully,
Jeff
May they all Rest In Peace Jeff.
It took 25 years, but we finally got the POS that planned and organized the bombing. “Someone” detonated a bomb stashed in his driver seat headrest back in ‘08. Hopefully “they” got the rest of the lesser-know maggots too.
Imad Mughaniyeh is roasting in hell.
God rest those two hundred and twenty Devil Dogs, eighteen sailors and three men from Big Army – doom and eternal torment on the evil scum that perpetrated that attack. Two people I went to school with, were there – one made it home, the other lies in Arlington. I will never forget that day. As for ‘That resolution never made it out of committee’ – a stain of shame on them-forever.
We remember.
As a page fan,
I clearly remember this guy and his public shitbaggery.
Wrapped himself in Beirut rubble… and GOD.
All for glory on ice, at an NHL hockey game.
Ugh.
[Daryl Edwards – Phony SEAL and Fake Marine Barracks Survivor
| March 5, 2020]
https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=96610
And don’t forget William “Zippy The Pinhead” Blake is also a Beirut Phony.
You remember him? Discharged straight from the Brig as a Private E-1 who now claims on his Book of the Face to be a Retired Marine.
I remember.
Watched the news that morning from half a world away.
Went to quarters.
Called my division of young sailors to attention.
Walked slowly up & down the ranks as I spoke.
Told them to look at the person next to them.
Told them that is who they are here for.
Not God, county, mom or apple pie.
As I was leaving the ship’s quarterdeck that day.
I slowly came to attention.
I slowly saluted the flag.
I looked at the red, white and blue blowing in the wind.
Knowing what it meant to me.
RIP to the 241 US Marines, sailors, soldiers, the 58 French paratroopers, and numerous other personnel.
Ran into a classmate Steve, in 1987 on a flight from Germany, I was returning from 30 days leave from visiting my then fiance in Germany.
Well Steve and I had gone to HS together and graduated from HS in Germany. Both of us were Military Brats. This guy was a major loser in HS, didn’t fit into any clique.
We’re chatting and he tells me how he went into the USMC. I was like wow, then he informs me he was in Beirut during the bombing. Double wow, then a bit later I said “Steve we graduated in 85” he goes “I know. I’m not stupid “, I go “Steve the bombing was in 83 our Junior year”. He got real quiet, started stammering and then went back to his seat and ignored me the rest of the flight.
Even though it was a commercial flight out of Frankfurt there was a lot of military personnel on it. An officer who had busted my chops earlier for being unshaven, made a remark on how he’ll give me a pass on the facial hair, since I publicly called my friend (His word, I wouldn’t use friend to describe him) a liar. Some of yall will remember back in the 80s and before you had to travel with a dress uniform in your possession if on leave, and whether it was a written rule or unwritten rule expected to be In-Regs just incase.
Years later when Facebook became a thing and I was reconnecting with old friends I see Steve’s profile. Turns out Steve had never joined the military, and was still living in Germany 2 years after we graduated. I busted his chops when I posted on his profile and asked what rank he achieved in USMC….Post got deleted but his family reached out to me to find out the story!
Lies will come back to haunt you, when you least expect it!
I was in Navy Basic @ Great Mistakes NTC when this occured.
RIP
1LT Charles Jeffrey Schnorf (USMC) Beirut 23 Oct 1983
CPT Michael F. Ritz (USA) Calliste Grenada 26 Oct 1983