(melancholic music)
- I know there are no words that can express our sorrow
and grief of the loss of those splendid young men,
and the injury to so many others.
(melancholic music)
- [General David H. Berger] When I thought about speaking here today,
I reflected on the events of October 23rd, 1983.
And it didn't take me long to think what I wanted to say
because that event had really such
a profound impact on me.
I was a young 2nd lieutenant
in 1983 before Donna and I had even our first son.
We just finished our time at Twentynine Palms
and I was the 81's platoon commander
with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.
It was a month-long combined arms exercise
and I thought I knew everything.
There wasn't any ongoing war,
so from my little window of the world, if you did well
at a CACs, that was everything there was to know.
Or at least that's what I thought.
And though we heard from the Vietnam vets in our ranks
that there was so much more to war,
all we knew was running around the desert for training.
The bombing in Beirut quickly disavowed me
and everyone else of any such thought.
We knew the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was
in Beirut conducting a peacekeeping mission,
but most of us thought it was fairly routine work
they were doing.
We didn't know about the ongoing attacks
the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was dealing with
on a near daily basis.
Marines who were conducting
a supposedly peaceful security patrol,
who were harassed and attacked in the streets by protestors.
Those of us whose only experience was CAC didn't understand
the complexities of interacting with a hostile population
that we weren't at war with.
- The situation was so confusing.
The Marines on the ground reported enemy firing
at all directions, from several different locations.
Despite the chaos, Marines performed exceptionally.
They only returned fire when they were authorized to do so
and they protected civilian populations,
supported the Lebanese armed forces
and they stayed alert and ready to handle new situations.
Throughout September and October 1983,
the situation rapidly deteriorated.
The Marines received a string of visitors
to gain a firsthand account.
Visitors range from congressional delegations,
the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General PX Kelley,
the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Watkins
and Marine generals like General Gray,
and Navy flag officers,
like the commander of the 6th Fleet.
All we saw was that it couldn't be that bad
because all those senior leaders were visiting.
- Well those senior leaders recognized
the precarious situation.
The rest of us were unaware of much that was happening.
When we heard the news from 6:22 AM on Sunday,
the 23rd of October 1983,
our illusion of an easy deployment came crashing down.
(explosion)
(high-pitched ringing)
I suddenly realized the challenges of war
even on seemingly simple or routine missions.
There was so much more than we could ever learn at CACs.
And there was the human toll.
I had yet to know death in service,
but here laid 273 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers killed
by an unknown enemy.
Servicemen just like me.
Same age, background, training, everything.
The events of that day changed me.
It changed me to forever challenge myself
even more to be ready.
There was always something extra I could do better
to prepare myself and my Marines.
These were all things that many others already knew
in practice, but the bombing changed me in an instant
from the other side of the world.
- The impact of Beirut still shapes us today.
Marines today remember the incredible acts
of selflessness and sacrifice.
Your Marine Corps in this community continue to pay homage
and commemorate the lives lost,
the families of the fallen and the legacy left.
We will never forget that their sacrifice was not in vain.
Legacy matters.
Every member who was present that day contributed
to that legacy.
We will always remember you and your families.
And our Marines today carry on that legacy
as they continue to train
and deploy around the world to defend our nation
and protect our freedoms, just like they did in 1983.
And we remain semper fidelis, always faithful.
(melancholic music)