25 years ago was the worst day of my life...

[Joe_VB]

October 23 1983: I woke early to get a cup of coffee and to smoke a cigarette on the fantail. We were part of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force doing large circles just a few hundred yards off the beach as part of NGFS (Naval Gun Fire Support) for the Marines at the Beirut Airport. The previous month we had fired over 300 5" shells into the mountains, Souk al Gharb was the village name, supporting the Christian Militia there. We would come to find out that this is where Reagan fucked up. That's when we ceased to be Peacekeepers and became participants in a civil war. I was in the Combat Systems department on the USS Virginia (CGN-38).

It was a Sunday morning and clear and a little chilly. Beirut was actually very beautiful with the tall snow-capped mountains in the backround. It was hard to believe that there was a war going on. Then it all changed, I remember feeling the shockwave and thinking.."SHIT, that was a big one". It took awhile before we all realized that the Marine BLT was blown up. Then over the 1MC the captain wanted to see all his officers in the ward room. Our division officer (a salty old vietnam vet who got his start on PBR's) told us to get our gray steel pots and pick up flak jackets and then report to the accom ladder and wait for the Mike boats and that we were assisting with the rescue effort on shore. I didn't like the idea of leaving the safety of the ship and going where people were shooting at you. As we were riding to the beach I noticed something that I had not noticed before, it was a red ferris wheel, that just struck me funny and I still remember it. When we got to the beach it was fucking chaos, they gave us a pair of gloves and told us where to dig and who to help. Every now and then the snipers would fire a shot and make us dive in the dirt. I will not go into any more cuz I dont want to start crying here at work. I just wanted everyone to remember the 241 marines and sailors that died that day.


Go to this website to see all the names:

http://www.beirut-memorial.org/memory/brtnames.html

Sorry for rambling like this, but I did not see any thread when I started to type this.

Thanks Joe.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Rich Morrow was my friend throughout school. I remember. n/t

[wicket]

2. Thank-you for sharing your story

:hug:

[babylonsister]

3. Thank you, Joe, for reminding us and for sharing this.

:hug:

[Captain Hilts]

4. I was in the MAC terminal in Norfolk, VA with a retired Marine Colonel...

who said the week before the Marines should not have been there. I heard him say it.

The week after the explosion he and a retired captain were hanging out trying to get to Europe Space "A" I dropped them off at the terminal every day for a week.

Thanks for helping out our marines!

[TuxedoKat]

5. Thanks for sharing your story with us. (nt)

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. And 58 French paratroopers were killed in the same incident

The U.S. media never seems to mention them.

[barbtries]

9. i never knew

til just now when i read your post. but in my own defense i gave birth three days after this happened and wasn't paying much attention.

[Joe_VB]

10. Yes...I'm sorry to say that I forgot also.

I found this about them:

"A second suicide bomber drove his truck into the "Drakkar" building about four miles from the Marine compound. The Drakkar housed a unit of French parachutist infantry. Many of them were on the balconies of the multi-storied building to see what had happened in the first bombing. Fifty-eight French paras were killed."

Also six months prior was the bombing of the US Embassy there killing another 63 people.

Joe

[barbtries]

7. thank you for sharing this

now i'm crying at work...:cry:

[LoveMyCali]

28. That makes two of us

:cry:

[ThatsMyBarack]

8. Thanks for your service, Joe!

:patriot:

[RainDog]

11. k&r

[UpInArms]

12. ...

:grouphug:

thank you for your service and for giving us your story

:patriot:

[Joe_VB]

13. Thanks everyone for remembering with me....eot

[formercia]

14. My former supervisor was there in the aftermath

He was EOD. I probably would have been there too but I had transferred a few months earlier.
I remember Thanksgiving 1983. I was on a BA flight to Islamabad and we were just off the coast of Berut. It was late sunset but you could still make out the city in the fading light. The movie on that flight was War Games and I was looking at the city and watching the final attack scene out of my right eye when the whole of east Berut lit up with a tremendous blast. You could see the shock wave bubble rising into the sky. It was surreal to say the least.

[cayuga]

15. Bless you and may this lay lightly on your soul.

Joe the Hero.

[MrScorpio]

16. I was stationed at Bergstrom AFB, TX

My heart was with you guys that day

[Subdivisions]

17. Thanks for sharing, Joe_VB. Thanks for your service. Welcome to DU. n/t

[Joe_VB]

21. Thanks for the welcome but I've been a DU member since 2003

I just don't post much.....Joe

[Subdivisions]

23. Wow! You really don't post much do you...lol? Please pardon

my assumption =) and my best to you.

[Lochloosa]

18. ...

:patriot:

[bertman]

19. Thank you for the reminder, Joe. It is too easy to forget.

And thank you for your service.

I remember a while before the barracks got hit I was talking to a navy man who I believe had just gotten out of the service. I'm remembering that he was on a battleship although I don't remember which one. What I do remember was him telling me with great pride how they fired the 16-inch guns with shells "as big as a '57 chevy" into the villages in the hills around Beirut. He was so proud and he was wearing his t-shirt with the ship's name on it. Being a Vietnam vet I was listening to him and thinking of how many civilians they were probably killing with those gigantic bombs. It was so eerie hearing him tell me about what he was doing. Then it was really weird when we heard about the barracks getting bombed. Very sad.

[PatSeg]

20. K&R

[Uncle Joe]

22. Thanks for sharing, Joe_VB

If I remember correctly, in spite of being in a dangerous area, the Marine Guards weren't allowed to keep their M16s loaded.

Kicked and recommended.

[SidneyCarton]

24. n/t

:patriot:

[dysfunctional press]

25. the worst day of YOUR life...?

think how the marines and french paratroopers in that building must have felt about it...

[Hekate]

26. Thanks for the reminder, Joe. I'm glad you're home, and posting here.

:hug:

Hekate

[MadMaddie]

27. Thank you for sharing Joe! It must be heartbreaking for you!

May they all RIP!

[OHDEM]

29. Thank you for your service

and for reminding us of those brave marines that made the ultimate sacrifice. :patriot:

[UrbScotty]

30. Thank you for sharing.

:patriot:

[Autonomy]

31. Well, at least Reagan didn't turn tail and run

like a sissy after that incident, thereby encouraging terraists. Oh, wait... nevermind.