Twenty-five years ago, at sunrise on Oct. 23, 1983, at 6:22 a.m., a yellow Mercedes truck with a driver and a passenger circled the parking lot adjacent to the headquarters of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, a four-story reinforced concrete building at the Beirut International Airport.

The truck suddenly turned, accelerated through a barbed-wire fence, ran the sentry post, and then crashed through the gate and drove into the lobby of the building. The suicide bombers detonated an explosion that was equivalent to 12,000 pounds of TNT, which the FBI later concluded was the largest non-nuclear blast it had ever seen.

The bombing killed 241 Americans, most of them Marines, the largest one-day death toll the Corps had suffered since the invasion of Iwo Jima in 1945. Minutes later, another suicide bomber killed 58 French paratroopers in west Beirut.

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There's more. Two articles about the Beirut bombing. One from the San Diego Union Tribune (quoted above), the other from USA Today. Very emotional, very good reads.

http://gunnyg.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/remember-the-marines-of-october/

I'm looking for my laminated 'Rules of Engagement' they issued to us on arrival in Beirut. Will post them once I find them.

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Very emotional, very good reads.

Yes, thank you for posting this.

Look under October.

http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.mag&did=578

Thanks for posting the link Harry! Still looking for my Beirut ROE, I know I posted them in here before. Geez I didn't realize I was such a prolific poster in here.

Found `em finally!

Rules Of Engagement
A. US Forces will not initate a weapons exchange.

B. US Forces are authorized and will employ the right of self defense IF attack occurs on a member of that force or on the LAF or other MNF operating with US Forces.

C. US Forces, should it become necessary to exercise right of self defense, will employ all possible measures to limit the engagement.

D. When on post, mobile or on foot patrol keep loaded magizine in weapon, bolt closed, weapon on SAFE, NO ROUND IN CHAMBER.

E. DO NOT CHAMBER A ROUND UNLESS told to do so by a COMMISSIONED OFFICER.

F. Keep ammo for crew served weapons readily available but NOT LOADED, WEAPON IS ON SAFE.

G. Call local forces to assist in self defense effort, Notify Headquarters.

H. Use only minimum degree of force to accomplish the mission.

I. Stop use of force when it is no longer need to accomplish the mission.

J. If you recieve effective hostile fire, direct your fire at the source. If possible use friendly snipers.

K. Protect civilian property, DO NOT attack it unless absolutely necessary to protect friendly forces.

L. Protect innocent civilians from harm.

M. Respect and protect recognized medical agencies such as Red Cross, Red Cresint, etc...

Grrrrrr.

Grenada was also 25 years ago. It was mostly an Army operation but the 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit was there.

Casualties (KIA):
8 75th Rangers
4 Seal Team 5
3 22nd Marine Amphibious Unit (Helicopter Squadron 261)
3 82nd Airborne Division
1 160th Aviation Battation

19 Total

It seems a small number compared to Beirut.

*

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Grenada was also 25 years ago.

As of tomorrow. Noted for the first employment of Marine Interrogation Teams since Vietnam (vice small detachments like the one sent to Beirut, one interrogator was killed there).

I'm full of useless information like this.

The Beirut bombing is near and dear to me (as I've posted before)-- eight days later I was in the recruiter's office signing the papers.

Grenada, 25 years ago today--

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/grenada.htm