1 00:00:00,235 --> 00:00:03,235 (melancholic music) 2 00:00:07,060 --> 00:00:11,660 - I know there are no words that can express our sorrow 3 00:00:11,660 --> 00:00:15,823 and grief of the loss of those splendid young men, 4 00:00:16,900 --> 00:00:19,038 and the injury to so many others. 5 00:00:19,038 --> 00:00:22,038 (melancholic music) 6 00:00:23,810 --> 00:00:26,685 - [Gen. David H. Berger] When I thought about speaking here today, 7 00:00:26,685 --> 00:00:30,460 I reflected on the events of October 23rd, 1983. 8 00:00:30,460 --> 00:00:33,270 And it didn't take me long to think what I wanted to say 9 00:00:33,270 --> 00:00:35,070 because that event had really such 10 00:00:35,070 --> 00:00:36,723 a profound impact on me. 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:39,150 I was a young 2nd lieutenant 12 00:00:39,150 --> 00:00:43,800 in 1983 before Donna and I hadn't even our first son. 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,560 We just finished our time at Twentynine Palms 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,480 and I was the 81's platoon commander 15 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:50,600 with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines. 16 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,010 It was a month-long combined arms exercise 17 00:00:54,010 --> 00:00:55,833 and I thought I knew everything. 18 00:00:56,830 --> 00:00:58,500 There wasn't any ongoing war, 19 00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:01,600 so from my little window of the world, if you did well 20 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,420 at a CACs, that was everything there was to know. 21 00:01:04,420 --> 00:01:06,120 Or at least that's what I thought. 22 00:01:07,090 --> 00:01:09,700 And though we heard from the Vietnam vets in our ranks 23 00:01:09,700 --> 00:01:11,680 that there was so much more to war, 24 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,430 all we knew was running around the desert for training. 25 00:01:15,290 --> 00:01:18,380 The bombing in Beirut quickly disavowed me 26 00:01:18,380 --> 00:01:21,220 and everyone else of any such thought. 27 00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:23,750 We knew the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was 28 00:01:23,750 --> 00:01:26,110 in Beirut conducting a peacekeeping mission, 29 00:01:26,110 --> 00:01:28,420 but most of us thought it was fairly routine work 30 00:01:28,420 --> 00:01:29,253 they were doing. 31 00:01:30,460 --> 00:01:32,410 We didn't know about the ongoing attacks 32 00:01:32,410 --> 00:01:35,010 the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit was dealing with 33 00:01:35,010 --> 00:01:37,280 on a near daily basis. 34 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:38,350 Marines who were conducting 35 00:01:38,350 --> 00:01:41,130 a supposedly peaceful security patrol, 36 00:01:41,130 --> 00:01:44,363 who were harassed and attacked in the streets by protestors. 37 00:01:45,410 --> 00:01:48,470 Those of us whose only experience was CAC didn't understand 38 00:01:48,470 --> 00:01:52,150 the complexities of interacting with a hostile population 39 00:01:52,150 --> 00:01:53,550 that we weren't at war with. 40 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,530 - The situation was so confusing. 41 00:01:56,530 --> 00:01:58,510 The Marines on the ground reported enemy firing 42 00:01:58,510 --> 00:02:02,330 at all directions, from several different locations. 43 00:02:02,330 --> 00:02:06,050 Despite the chaos, Marines performed exceptionally. 44 00:02:06,050 --> 00:02:09,000 They only returned fire when they were authorized to do so 45 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:10,830 and they protected civilian populations, 46 00:02:10,830 --> 00:02:12,930 supported the Lebanese armed forces 47 00:02:12,930 --> 00:02:16,390 and they stayed alert and ready to handle new situations. 48 00:02:16,390 --> 00:02:18,720 Throughout September and October 1983, 49 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,370 the situation rapidly deteriorated. 50 00:02:21,370 --> 00:02:23,050 The Marines received a string of visitors 51 00:02:23,050 --> 00:02:24,450 to gain a firsthand account. 52 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,960 Visitors range from congressional delegations, 53 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,860 the commandant of the Marine Corps, General PX Kelley, 54 00:02:30,860 --> 00:02:33,740 the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Watkins 55 00:02:33,740 --> 00:02:35,600 and Marine generals like General Gray, 56 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:36,780 and Navy flag officers, 57 00:02:36,780 --> 00:02:39,290 like the commander of the 6th Fleet. 58 00:02:39,290 --> 00:02:41,870 All we saw was that it couldn't be that bad 59 00:02:41,870 --> 00:02:44,360 because all those senior leaders were visiting. 60 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,090 - Well those senior leaders recognized 61 00:02:46,090 --> 00:02:47,460 the precarious situation. 62 00:02:47,460 --> 00:02:51,010 The rest of us were unaware of much that was happening. 63 00:02:51,010 --> 00:02:54,790 When we heard the news from 6:22 AM on Sunday, 64 00:02:54,790 --> 00:02:57,120 the 23rd of October 1983, 65 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,479 our illusion of an easy deployment came crashing down. 66 00:03:00,479 --> 00:03:02,812 (explosion) 67 00:03:06,717 --> 00:03:08,634 (high-pitched ringing) 68 00:03:14,460 --> 00:03:17,030 I suddenly realized the challenges of war 69 00:03:17,030 --> 00:03:20,680 even on a seemingly simple or routine missions. 70 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:24,600 There was so much more than we could ever learn at CACs. 71 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,243 And there was the human toll. 72 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,330 I had yet to know death in service, 73 00:03:29,330 --> 00:03:33,840 but here laid 273 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers killed 74 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:35,690 by an unknown enemy. 75 00:03:35,690 --> 00:03:37,370 Servicemen just like me. 76 00:03:37,370 --> 00:03:41,023 Same age, background, training, everything. 77 00:03:42,130 --> 00:03:44,223 The events of that day changed me. 78 00:03:45,170 --> 00:03:47,440 It changed me to forever challenge myself 79 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,540 even more to be ready. 80 00:03:49,540 --> 00:03:52,610 There was always something extra I could do better 81 00:03:52,610 --> 00:03:54,700 to prepare myself and my Marines. 82 00:03:55,580 --> 00:03:58,070 These were all things that many others already knew 83 00:03:58,070 --> 00:04:01,140 in practice, but the bombing changed me in an instant 84 00:04:01,140 --> 00:04:03,590 from the other side of the world. 85 00:04:03,590 --> 00:04:06,340 - The impact of Beirut still shapes us today. 86 00:04:06,340 --> 00:04:08,190 Marines today remember the incredible acts 87 00:04:08,190 --> 00:04:10,830 of selflessness and sacrifice. 88 00:04:10,830 --> 00:04:13,150 Your Marine Corps in this community continue to pay homage 89 00:04:13,150 --> 00:04:15,050 and commemorate the lives lost, 90 00:04:15,050 --> 00:04:17,960 the families of the fallen and the legacy left. 91 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,660 We will never forget that their sacrifice was not in vain. 92 00:04:21,660 --> 00:04:23,160 Legacy matters. 93 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,190 Every member who was present that day contributed 94 00:04:25,190 --> 00:04:26,630 to that legacy. 95 00:04:26,630 --> 00:04:29,390 We will always remember you and your families. 96 00:04:29,390 --> 00:04:31,370 And our Marines today carry on that legacy 97 00:04:31,370 --> 00:04:32,530 as they continue to train 98 00:04:32,530 --> 00:04:34,950 and deploy around the world to defend our nation 99 00:04:34,950 --> 00:04:38,270 and protect our freedoms, just like they did in 1983. 100 00:04:38,270 --> 00:04:42,105 And we remain semper fidelis, always faithful. 101 00:04:42,105 --> 00:04:44,688 (melancholic music)