America, do you remember 23 October, 1983? I don't specifically remember what I was doing that day, It was the middle of my Senior year in High school in Wiesbaden Germany where my father was stationed at the time. So I was probably being a typical teenaged pain in the butt. It is a date that every U.S. Marine remembers, though. A date that I have reflected on every year since I joined the Corps in 1992.

On that Date the Marine Barracks in Beirut Lebanon was bombed by a truck-bomber. 241 Americans lost their lives. Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers. I may not remember what I was doing on that date, but I remember 2 other events from that time in my life. One was the casualties coming through Germany. At that time, they went through Wiesbaden Hospital, not Landsthul. I also remember the re-patriation of the hostages from the US embassy in Iran because they made the stop in Wiesbaden for their first medical check-up's on the way home, but that is a different story.

The point is, we should never forget what happened that morning. Those Americans who died in the bombing were heroes. The truck bombers came from a nation that has been fighting our country for over 26 years, Iran. They are still our enemies, and are still actively supporting those we are at war with America in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/deadly_anniversary_YWZTwUfrSB9maKlBSGbaaJ

Some folks counsel negotiation and dialogue with Iran. Not me.

Beirut Marines, you are not forgotten, at least not by this old Gunnery Sergeant.

SEMPER FIDELIS!
Mike