The Highest Loss of Life for the Marine Corps in a Single Day Since D-Day Iwo Jima 1945 - Beirut 1983 - The Face of War
Did the headline catch your eye? Are you wondering what the hell am I talking about. Well folks, here it is.
The suicide bombing of the Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, 1983. The hidden story by our government.
Placed on peacekeeping duty for 18 months in Lebanon between 1982-84, Marines found themselves the target of terrorists. Despite official denials from Washington, they fought a fanatical foe.
CAULDRON OF CONFUSION
U.S. aims in Lebanon were confused at best. The State Department made only vague references to a ''presence'' as part of the Multi-National Force which was dispatched as a neutral peacekeeping body. For the Marines, though, the intervention was simply the ''Mission''. It was a mission in a violent, shattered place nicknamed ''The Root'', short for Beirut.
WAGING A HOLY WAR
Islamic fundamentalists soon became bent on waging a no-hold-barred crusade against the ''The Great Satan'' - America.
Exactly who the bad guys were was a mystery. ''A lot of young Leathernecks decided they were fighting Communists. That was just fine with Ronald Reagan. He thought so too.'' (Larry Pintak wrote in the Beirut Outtakes).
''THE GROUND WAS CRYING''
On Oct. 23, 1983, ''the largest non-nuclear blast ever detonated on the face of the earth'' leveled the 1/8's headquarters. Stunned survivors thought they had been hit by tactical nuclear weapons. Moans from within the rubble heap gave the impression that the ''ground was crying''.
The death toll shocked the U.S. 220 Marines, 18 Sailors and 3 Soldiers. More than 100 men were wounded.
This was the highest loss of life for the Marine Corps in a single day since D-Day on Iwo Jima, in 1945.
To many, the bombing was the only hostile action. It was not, the Marines were in constant firefights, before and after this bombing.
All told, the Marines sustained 238 KIA and 151 WIA in Beirut. The Navy lost 18 men in the barracks bombing. 14 of them Navy corpsman. One Navy pilot was killed over Syrian positions. Army deaths to hostile action amounted to eight - three in the embassy bombing, three in the barracks bombing and two to landmines.
The downplaying of our involvement and the constant combat that the Marines faced is a slap in the face to all thoseof all Services that fought and died there.
COMBAT SACRIFICES UNRECOGNIZED
Offical affirmation of the Marine' actual situation in Lebannon was only grudgingly granted. Though hostile-fire payworth $65per month for the 24th MAU members was authorized on Aug.31 1983, the government still refused to acknowledge publicly that the Corps was cornered into genuine combat.
Finally , months of prodding by former Illinois Sen. Charles Percy paid off. The Defense Department agreed, on Jan. 12, 1984 to classify U.S. service fatalities in Lebanon as combat-related rather than ''non-hostile'' or ''accidental''.
Award of theCorps' coveted Combat Action Ribbon (CAR) was an entirely differentmatter. Even though Marine Commandant Kelly himself publicly authorized it for all 24th MAU members, the secretary of the Navy later made each veteran quality.
Moreover, personal decorations for valor were universally denied to Lebanon veterans. Though recommended, they were downgraded to meritorious or achievement awards at the 6th Fleet level. By comparison, in later campaigns, the Marine Corps granted 50 valor awards for the three-day Grenada operation, 509 CARs for the five-day assault on Panama; and 321 medals for heroism during the 100 hour ground war in Kuwait. Those so honored were no doubt deserving, but the same type of courage went unrecognized in Lebanon.
The final death toll increased by two. CIA station chief, William F. Buckley was murdered by Hezbollah in October 1985. Marine Col. William R. Higgins senior member of the U.S. Observer Group, was hanged in 1989.
Through all of this, no attempt was by Washington to retaliate for the American deaths since 1983. However, on Feb. 16, 1992, the Israelis exacted retribution when they took out Abbas Musawi, leader of Hezbollah, in a helicopter rocket attack. Musawi planned the 1983 embassy and barracks bombings.
Then on Feb. 12, 2008 a car bomb killed the infamous Imad Maghniyeh, the Hezbollah chieftain responsible for more American deaths than any other terrorist before Sept. 11, 2001.
Lebanon is recalled differently by policy-makers and participants. Ronald Reagan would write in his memories: ''Sending the Marines to Beirut was the source of mygreatest sorrow as President''. But, ''I believed in and still believe in the policy and decisions that originally sent the Marines to Lebanon.''
A Marine doggerel had a different view:
They sent us to Beirut
To be targets who could not shoot
Friends will die into an early grave
Was there any reason for what they gave?
I dedicate this article to my son, Marine L/Cpl ''Bright Star'',Semper Fi ingozis.
He is one of the 100 WIA.
It also should be noted that 58 French Paratroopers were killed in another suicide bombing, Oct, 1983.
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Of course this is very personal to me. My son is the real face of war, something that I hope no other father has to live with. His life, and my wife and I lives, were changed forever the day we received the phone call.
My son doesn't give a damn about the ribbons for valor, he has the ''Eagle Feather'' awarded by the Ojibwe Nation.
Thank you for reading the article.
Sorry for your family's pain & suffering .
To those who say that Israel has done nothing for the US read those words .
And this as well. Compliments of Israel.
''Then on Feb. 12, 2008 a car bomb killed the infamous Imad Maghniyeh, the Hezbollah chieftain responsible for more American deaths than any other terrorist before Sept. 11, 2001.''
I'm so sorry, Kavika. Yes, I remember this, but didn't realize the extent of the casualties. May God bless your son.
Thank you Dowser. I don't believe that many people realize the number of casualties, and the constant combat that they were in.
In 1983, when this happened, I was traveling all over kingdom come for my job. Yes, I heard about it, but being out in the field so much, not many details were able to sink in, as I was away from TV, radio, etc. When I came back home, after months of constant field work, it wasn't talked about much.
I'm so very sorry for your son. Please give him my very best wishes.
Marine L/Cpl ''Bright Star'' Welcome Home Brother
Semper Fi
And to the Kavika family Thank You for your families service to our country.
''I'm so very sorry for your son. Please give him my very best wishes.''
That I will Dowser.
Kavika,
I am sure this is a day that will live in infamy to you and to the families that lost those they loved and the injured who will always bare the scars from that war.
It is a national crime that the US first did nothing for retribution. I lay that on Reagan'sdoor. Insult to injury that these Marines were not properly treated. I am glad that Israel was the only country that had the guts to take action. I would hate it to know thatMusawi was still breathing.
I look at your son and grieve for you. As a parent, there is nothing worse than seeing a child of yours suffer.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
Kavika--
A heartfelt tip of the Swami's turban for your family (and particularly your son) service & sacrifice for a nation that too often fails to recognize unheralded acts of valor...
And how ironic that (once again) the Israelis find a way to pay off the sunzabitches that 'articles of war' place outside the officials channels of retribution.
May you & yours find peace & solace in the end, bro...
Thank you brother. I know that Bright Star, thanks you as well.
Like father like son: true warriors. Thanks for your service and thanks for your valor to a country that doesn't give you justice. You and yours are true patriots. God bless.
He has good days and bad days. The TBI is really affecting him now. Heavy med's and a really difficult time dealing with anyone, myself included.
Thanks for your kind words sister.
Thanks Swamijim,
We owe the Israelies a big thank you for what they did.
Thanks Arch, I appreciate your words very much.
Yes, we get ourselves entangled in things that we have no business in, and it's the military guys/gals that pay the price, not the politicians.
The real thanks are owed to you, your son, your kin and all your 'connected' people, K... folks who have stepped up for a country that has never earned or repaid the respect & love you've all invested...
Telling the parents that their son has been KIA, it the worst possible duty Gunny.
All of us will met in the next life.
Thanks Swamijim, some appreciated what we have done over the centuries. Some not so much.
So painfully true.
Thank you for writing this, Kavika. Thank you, Bright Star, for your service to us all. He is fortunate to have you as his father to help him along his difficult path. You have my admiration and my thanks, Kavika.
''So painfully true'', it's been that way forever Grump. Someday, maybe it will change.
It is much appreciated Grump. His, is a very difficult path because of his wounds. But he manages, and keeps trying to move forward.
To me, he is my hero and has the true Ojibwe Warrior spirit.
Peace and strength to your entire family Kav.
Thanks Tzia, it's needed on a daily basis my friend.
Semper Fi Bright Star.
Thank you Bruce. We must never forget our Warriors, no matter what.
Thanks Souls Prison.
''Never Forget''.
Chi-miigwetch 1st.