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(melancholic music)

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- I know there are no words

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that can express our sorrow and grief

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over the loss of those splendid young men,

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and the injury to so many others.

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(melancholic music)

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- [General David H. Berger] When I 
thought about speaking here today,

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I reflected on the events of

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October 23rd, 1983.

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And it didn't take me long
to think what I wanted to say

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because that event had really 
such a profound impact on me.

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I was a young 2nd lieutenant in 1983,

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before Donna and I had even our first son.

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We just finished our time at Twentynine Palms

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and I was the 81's platoon commander

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with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.

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It was a month-long combined arms exercise

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and I thought I knew everything.

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There wasn't any ongoing war,

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so from my little window of
the world, if you did well

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at a KACs, that was everything there was to know.

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Or at least that's what I thought.

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And though we heard from the
Vietnam vets in our ranks

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that there was so much more to war,

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all we knew was running around the desert for training.

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The bombing in Beirut quickly disavowed me

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and everyone else of any such thought.

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We knew the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was

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in Beirut conducting a
peacekeeping mission,

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but most of us thought it was 
fairly routine work they were doing.

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We didn't know about the ongoing attacks

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the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was dealing with

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on a near daily basis.

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Marines who were conducting a
supposedly peaceful security patrol,

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who were harassed and attacked
in the streets by protestors.

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Those of us whose only experience
was KAC didn't understand

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the complexities of interacting
with a hostile population

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that we weren't at war with.

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- The situation was so confusing.

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The Marines on the ground 
reported enemy firing in all directions,

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from several different locations.

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Despite the chaos, Marines
performed exceptionally.

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They only returned fire when
they were authorized to do so

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and they protected civilian populations,
supported the Lebanese armed forces,

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and they stayed alert and
ready to handle new situations.

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Throughout September and October 1983,

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the situation rapidly deteriorated.

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The Marines received a string of 
visitors to gain a firsthand account.

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Visitors ranged from
congressional delegations,

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the Commandant of the Marine
Corps, General PX Kelley,

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the Chief of Naval Operations,
Admiral James Watkins,

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and Marine generals like 
General Gray, and Navy flag officers

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like the commander of the 6th Fleet.

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All we saw was that
it couldn't be that bad

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because all those senior
leaders were visiting.

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- Well those senior leaders 
recognized the precarious situation.

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The rest of us were unaware
of much that was happening.

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When we heard the news
from 6:22am on Sunday,

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the 23rd of October 1983,

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our illusion of an easy
deployment came crashing down.

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(explosion)

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(high-pitched ringing)

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I suddenly realized the challenges of war

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even on seemingly simple or routine missions.

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There was so much more

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than we could ever learn at KACs.

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And there was the human toll.

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I had yet to know death in service,

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but here laid 273 Marines,

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Sailors and Soldiers killed by an unknown enemy.

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Servicemen just like me.

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Same age, background,

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training, everything.

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The events of that day changed me.

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It changed me to forever challenge myself

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even more to be ready.

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There was always something
extra I could do better

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to prepare myself and my Marines.

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These were all things that
many others already knew

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in practice, but the bombing
changed me in an instant

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from the other side of the world.

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- The impact of Beirut still shapes us today.

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Marines today remember the incredible acts

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of selflessness and sacrifice.

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Your Marine Corps in this
community continue to pay homage

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and commemorate the lives lost,

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the families of the fallen and the legacy left.

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We will never forget that their
sacrifice was not in vain.

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Legacy matters.

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Every member who was present 
that day contributed to that legacy.

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We will always remember
you and your families.

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And our Marines today carry on 
that legacy as they continue to train

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and deploy around the
world to defend our nation

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and protect our freedoms,
just like they did in 1983.

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And we remain semper fidelis, always faithful.

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(melancholic music)