In the early morning hours of 23 October 1983, simultaneous suicide truck-bomb attacks were made on American and French compounds in Beirut, Lebanon.
A truck loaded with 12,000 pounds of explosives crashed through the security perimeter of the United States Marine Corps Barracks. In the ensuing explosion, 241 U.S. Military personnel (220 US Marines, 21 other service personnel) were killed and 80 seriously wounded.
These young people, on a mission of peace in a land stricken by violence, were killed as they slept.
Two minutes later and two miles away, 58 French paratroops were killed when a 400-pound device destroyed a French base.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
Twenty-one of the American victims of this cowardly act were returned to the United States and were buried near one another in Section 59 of Arlington National Cemetery.
A Cedar of Lebanon tree commemorating their sacrifice is
planted nearby.
The Fallen
View a Flash Presentation of events surrounding the October 23, 1983 massacre, narrated by Marines who were there.
They recognize that terrorism was omnipresent long before 9/11.
Two minutes later and two miles away, 58 French paratroops were killed when a 400-pound device destroyed a French base.
Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.
Twenty-one of the American victims of this cowardly act were returned to the United States and were buried near one another in Section 59 of Arlington National Cemetery.
A Cedar of Lebanon tree commemorating their sacrifice is
planted nearby.
The Fallen
View a Flash Presentation of events surrounding the October 23, 1983 massacre, narrated by Marines who were there.
They recognize that terrorism was omnipresent long before 9/11.
Requietum En Pacem, Marines
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