It was in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 1983, that a truck bomb exploded in the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 U.S. service members.
Now, for the first time in more than 30 years, Marines are back in Beirut - this time as guards at the U.S. Embassy, as explained by Capt. Eric Flanagan, the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group spokesman at the Pentagon:
“This is another phase of the continuing legacy of Marine Corps presence in Beirut.
"It is a re-energizing and reaffirmation of our commitment to our diplomatic security mission. Additionally, this is a sign of the steady growth of the Marine Security Guard program.”
“It is just right to have our Marines there with our ambassador and our team. It is good for the State Department and good for the Marine Corps and good for the nation of Lebanon.”
The Hezbollah suicide bomber who attacked the Marine barracks took the lives of 220 Marines, 18 sailors, and three soldiers.
President Ronald Reagan pulled American military forces out of Lebanon as a result of the bombing.
Matthew Levitt, who wrote the book Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God, theorized to USA Today in 2013:
"It really was a watershed in international terrorism."
Beirut Bombing Remembered
