Do you remember Beirut October 23rd 1983? Corpsman.com Does

Thank you to John Wiley for writing this up and helping us remember.

Marine Barracks Bombing Beirut, Oct 23rd 1983

On October 23,1983 two suicide truck bombers attacked the Marine Barracks in Beirut.  241 American troops were killed during that attack.  Among the dead were 15 Navy Corpsmen.

These “Devil Docs”were not killed in the heat of battle.   Their stories don’t ring out in the history books with accounts of them crawling under live fire to save a fellow Marine.  Their deaths were not in vain.

They died doing their duty as Navy Corpsmen.

Going about their daily rounds,checking on their men.

Perhaps even sitting on a bunk listening to a fellow Marine and talking of home.

None of them will be considered for a “MEDAL OF HONOR” and their names will not go down in the history books but they all died as heroes.  They were doing what all FMF Corpsmen do.  They were doing their job.  Abiding by the oath that we all took in Corpsman School.

I SOLEMNLY PLEDGE MYSELF BEFORE GOD AND THESE WITNESSES TO PRACTICE FAITHFULLY
ALL OF MY DUTIES AS A MEMBER OF THE HOSPITAL CORPS.

These men all died as “Heroes”in my opinion and gave their lives doing their duty.

They will not be forgotten.