From left: Derrick Roberts, Mike Wulf, Ike Reeves, Maq, Richard Roddy, Richard Lundie, Linda Lundie, and Mary Roberts. Photo taken by Larry Hume.
October 26, 2023 - VFW Post 8904 and Auxiliary members gathered at the Shelby County Veterans Memorial Tuesday, October 24, 2023 to remember those who lost their lives in Beirut, Lebanon due to the bombing of a Marine compound. Post Commander Richard Lundie welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending to remember those who lost their lives in Beirut 40 years ago.
“Early on a Sunday morning, around 0622 hours, October 23, 1983, two truck bombs struck buildings in Beirut, Lebanon that housed American and French service members in a multi-national force in Lebanon. They were a military peacekeeping operating during the Lebanese Civil War,” said Commander Lundie.
The attack killed 307 people, 241 of which were American military, 58 were French military, six were civilians plus the two attackers.
The first suicide bomber detonated a truck bomb at the building serving as a barracks for the 1st Battalion, Eighth Marines, Second Marine Division; killing 220 Marines, 18 Navy sailors and three Army soldiers. This was the deadliest single day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since the battle of Iwo Jima in World War II and the deadliest single-day death toll for the U.S. Armed Forces since the first day of the Tet offensive in Vietnam."
Lundie added, another 128 were wounded in the blast and 13 others later died of their injuries.
Minutes after the first bombing, a second bomber attacked a nine-story building a few kilometers where the French contingent was stationed.
In honor of those who died that day and in the days that followed, a memorial wreath was hung on the Shelby County Veterans Memorial by Ike Reeves, Post Trustee and U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran.
Taps was then played as presented by Derrick Roberts, Post Member.
Post Member Derrick Roberts playing Taps. Photo taken by Larry Hume.
