Do you remember Beirut October 23rd 1983? Corpsman.com Does
October 23, 2009 by Da-Chief
Filed under Corpsman.com News, Marine Corps News, Military Information, Navy News
Thank you to John Wiley for writing this up and helping us remember.
Marine Barracks Bombing Beirut, Oct 23rd 1983
On October 23,1983 two suicide truck bombers attacked the Marine Barracks in Beirut. 241 American troops were killed during that attack. Among the dead were 15 Navy Corpsmen.
These “Devil Docs”were not killed in the heat of battle. Their stories don’t ring out in the history books with accounts of them crawling under live fire to save a fellow Marine. Their deaths were not in vain.
They died doing their duty as Navy Corpsmen.
Going about their daily rounds,checking on their men.
Perhaps even sitting on a bunk listening to a fellow Marine and talking of home.
None of them will be considered for a “MEDAL OF HONOR” and their names will not go down in the history books but they all died as heroes. They were doing what all FMF Corpsmen do. They were doing their job. Abiding by the oath that we all took in Corpsman School.
I SOLEMNLY PLEDGE MYSELF BEFORE GOD AND THESE WITNESSES TO PRACTICE FAITHFULLY
ALL OF MY DUTIES AS A MEMBER OF THE HOSPITAL CORPS.
These men all died as “Heroes”in my opinion and gave their lives doing their duty.
They will not be forgotten.
I was there, not as a Corpsman, but was in the Navy at the timeand was a forward observer for the naval guns.. I lost several good friends that were Marines during the attack.
Why has America forgotten these fallen brothers and heros?
Why has America forgotten this “peacetime” war action?
Que pasa con todos los inocentes que mueren a manos de los estadounidenses!!!!!!!!!!!
Do I remember? How could I ever forget. Our Peace Keepers were murdered by the same radicals that terrorize the world today. I lost my best friend that day. A man who gave his candy bars and treats from home to the Lebanese children in exchange for a smile. That was the kind of men that were killed that day. Every day I think about 10/23/83 and I never want to forget it. I never will. It is 29 years to the day. When I woke up this morning, them memory of my dad waking me up and telling me to come downstairs, seeing the carnage and feeling the pain was as real today as it was 29 years ago.